Wait time intervals for patients with prostate cancer in a multidisciplinary rapid diagnostic unit compared to a community-based referral pattern.

183 Background: Wait times in cancer diagnosis and treatment are important measures of how quickly patients are getting access to care. Prolonged wait times may affect a cancer patient’s treatment outcome, prognosis and quality of life. A previous study conducted in 2003 found the median wait time from suspicion of prostate cancer to radiotherapy (RT) was 247 days. The purpose of this study was to capture wait time intervals for patients referred to and treated with radical RT at the Odette Cancer Centre, comparing patients diagnosed in a rapid diagnostic unit (RDU) versus the usual community referral process. Methods: Patients were screened during RT planning for their newly diagnosed, biopsy-confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma. A semi-structured interview and chart abstraction was conducted in order to obtain the best estimation of key wait time milestones in the care pathway. Results: A total of 87 patients participated in the study: 44 RDU patients and 43 community patients. The median overall wait time...