Longer waits for breast cancer patients on Medicare

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Women with a new diagnosis of breast cancer who are covered by Medicare are waiting longer and longer to get treatment, according to a new nationwide study. Researchers found that between 1992 and 2005, the average waiting time between being diagnosed and having surgery rose from 21 days to 32 days. The delay was especially long for black and Hispanic women, and for those living in large cities. Still, the study team noted, it’s unclear how big a difference the extra week or two would make in women’s long-term health. …