Objective An increased interval between symptomatic disease and treatment may negatively influence oncologic and/or functional outcomes in head and neck cancer (HNC). This systematic review aims to provide insight into the effects of time to treatment intervals on oncologic and functional outcomes in oral cavity, pharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library were searched. Review Methods All studies on delay or time to diagnosis or treatment in oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer were included. Quality assessment was performed with an adjusted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Outcomes of interest were tumor volume, stage, recurrence, survival, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), toxicity, and functionality after treatment. Results A total of 51 studies were included. Current literature on the influence of delay in HNC is inconsistent but indicates higher stage and worse survival with longer delay. The effects on PROMs, toxicity, and functional outcome after treatment have not been investigated. The inconsistencies in outcomes were most likely caused by factors such as heterogeneity in study design, differences in the definitions of delay, bias of results, and incomplete adjustment for confounding factors in the included studies. Conclusion Irrespective of the level of evidence, the unfavorable effects of delay on oncologic, functional, and psychosocial outcomes are undisputed. Timely treatment while maintaining high-quality diagnostic procedures and decision making reflects good clinical practice in our opinion. This review will pose practical and logistic challenges that will have to be overcome.

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Objectives: The aim of this study is to report on our preliminary experience with Transimpedance Matrix (TIM)measurement for the detection of cochlear implant electrode tip foldovers compared with intraoperative imaging in patients implanted with the slim modiolar electrode (SME). Study Design: Proof of concept study. Setting: Tertiary university referral center. Patients: Twenty five ears (in 22 patients) implanted consecutively with the SME. Intervention(s): Following cochlear implantation, intraoperative TIM-measurement and fluoroscopy were performed. One week postoperatively, the electrode position was evaluated using Computed Tomography (CT)-imaging. Main Outcome Measures: Electrode array tip foldover.Results: Electrode array tip foldover occurred in three of the 25 cochlear implantations performed (12%). In each case, the foldover was detected by both TIM and fluoroscopy, leading to reposition and correct intracochlear placement of the array. Conclusions: TIM-measurement is a promising method for the intraoperative detection of an electrode array tip foldover. The TIM-tool with intuitive heatmap display is easy to use, fast, and readily available to clinics using TIM-software in the operating theatre.