Q: What is Cancer Surgery?
Cancer surgery is an operation to repair or remove part of the body in the treatment of cancer.
Q: Who goes on a wait list?
Anyone who needs a treatment that has a wait list is placed on the list, unless it is an emergency. Emergency patients are treated as quickly as possible.
Q: What is Breast Cancer Surgery?
Breast cancer surgery is an operation to repair or remove part of the group of cancers found in the breast region.
Q: Where will I be referred to have this surgery?
Ask your doctor/specialist where you can have your cancer surgery done, as these procedures are performed in the following hospitals:
Eastern Health
General Hospital – Health Sciences Centre – St. John’s
St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital – St. John’s
Carbonear General Hospital – Carbonear
Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre – Burin
Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital – Clarenville
Central Health
James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre – Gander
Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre – Grand Falls-Windsor
Western Health
Western Memorial Regional Hospital – Corner Brook
Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital – Stephenville
Labrador-Grenfell Health
Labrador Health Centre – Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital – Labrador City
Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital – St. Anthony
Q: How are wait times measured?
For this operation, the wait time is measured from when you and your surgeon decide to proceed with surgery for the confirmed cancer to when the procedure is completed.
Q: What is the benchmark wait time for cancer surgery?
There is no national benchmark for this surgical procedure.
Table 1: Breast Cancer Surgery Wait Times for Q3 (October 1 – December 31, 2013-2014)
| Hospital | Number of Procedures | 5 out of 10 patients had surgery within this number of days | 9 out of 10 patients had surgery within this number of days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional Health Authority: Eastern | |||
| Health Sciences Centre / St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital | 44 | 15 | 32 |
| Carbonear General Hospital | DS | DS | DS |
| Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre | DS | DS | DS |
| Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital | 8 | 15 | 20 |
| Regional Health Authority: Central | |||
| James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre | 11 | 15 | 29 |
| Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre | 8 | 14 | 19 |
| Regional Health Authority: Western | |||
| Western Memorial Regional Hospital | 24 | 13 | 22 |
| Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital | 0 | NV | NV |
| Regional Health Authority: Labrador-Grenfell | |||
| Labrador Health Centre | 0 | NV | NV |
| Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital | 0 | NV | NV |
| Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital | DS | DS | DS |
Source: Regional Health Authorities, Newfoundland and Labrador
DS: Data Suppression – This indicates that a hospital performed 5 or less cases during the reporting period. To protect patient privacy, wait times associated with these small volumes will not be reported.
NV: No Volume – This indicates that a hospital did not perform this service during the reporting period, or that zero cases were carried out.
Date: April 25, 2014
Figure 1: Breast Cancer Surgery Wait Times for Q4 (January 1 – March 31, 2012-2013)
Source: Regional Health Authorities, Newfoundland and Labrador
DS: Data Suppression – This indicates that a hospital performed 5 or less cases during the reporting period. To protect patient privacy, wait times associated with these small volumes will not be reported.
NV: No Volume – This indicates that a hospital did not perform this service during the reporting period, or that zero cases were carried out.
Date: April 25, 2014