title: Delays in treatment of oral cancer: a review of the current literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review aims to update the reader as to the current issues surrounding the delay in treatment of oral cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched Medline/PubMed and the Cochrane database. English-language publications were included. Paired reviewers selected articles for inclusion and extracted data. The strength of the evidence was graded as high, moderate, or low.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen studies met our inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were retrospective case-control studies (55%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient delay continues to be the greatest contributor to overall delay in treatment of head and neck cancers, with an average delay of 3.5 to 5.4 months. In addition, the average professional delay is approximately 14 to 21 weeks. Cumulatively, the amount of delay may be causative for the late stage at which head and neck cancers are diagnosed and subsequently treated.
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Electronic address: peter.stefanuto@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stefanuto
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Doucet
authors.affiliation: Director of Graduate Training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D014850:Waiting Lists