Delayed definitive management of localized prostate cancer: what do we know?

Delays in the work-up and definitive management of patients with prostate cancer are common, with logistics of additional work-up after initial prostate biopsy, specialist referrals, and psychological reasons being the most common causes of delays. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent surges, timing of definitive care delivery with surgery or radiotherapy has become a topic of significant concern for patients with prostate cancer and their providers alike. In response, recommendations for the timing of definitive management of prostate cancer with radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy were published but without a detailed rationale for these recommendations. While the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, patients are always asking the question: "When should I start radiation or undergo surgery?" In the absence of level I evidence specifically addressing this question, we will hereby present a narrative review to summarize the available data on the effect of treatment delays on oncologic outcomes for patients with localized prostate cancer from prospective and retrospective studies.