The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Dec 2024
Time to Surgery in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Defining the Optimal Diagnosis-to-Resection Interval to Reduce Mortality.
Most patient variables that impact cancer case complexity and outcomes are not modifiable preoperatively; however, the time from diagnosis to surgical resection is fluid. This retrospective study sought to identify the optimal interval from diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to surgery to reduce mortality. ⋯ Although NSCLC aggressiveness varies, quality metrics for time to surgery are needed to optimize outcomes. This will be increasingly important as more early-stage, resectable NSCLC cases are identified. Our results suggest that performing surgery within 8 weeks of CT-based clinical diagnosis may be an important health system target for early-stage NSCLC patients.