Cancer incidence and mortality, widely recognized as two pivotal measures of cancer burden, have shown promising declines in recent years. From 1991 to 2019, the cancer death rate has declined 32 % overall in the United States (US) [1]. Concurrently, advancements in prevention, early detection, and treatment modalities have led to a decline in cancer incidence and mortality rates among various racial and ethnic minorities. For example, from 2013 to 2018 the overall cancer incidence rates decreased the most among Black individuals compared to White individuals (8 % versus 5 % decline, respectively) [1].

While advances have been made in understanding the multifaceted factors contributing to potential disparities in the cancer incidence/mortality, certain populations, notably racial/ethnic minorities, continue to bear an unequal burden of cancer. For example, black males experience a 6 % higher cancer incidence and 19 % higher mortality rate compared to their White counterparts [2]. Similarly, Black females face an 8 % lower cancer incidence but a 12 % higher mortality rate than White females [1]. Differential access to high quality healthcare may contribute to these disparities [3], but the root cause is not fully elucidated.

In the case of thyroid cancer, research endeavors exploring racial disparities have produced varied outcomes. A single institution study in Washington DC found no discernible differences in surgical thoroughness or rates of recurrence in differentiated thyroid cancer surgery across racial lines [3]. However, another study reported a divergence in surgical outcomes, revealing that Black patients undergoing surgical interventions for benign thyroid disease exhibited elevated incidences of neck hematoma, while Asian patients faced an increased risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury. [4] Furthermore, Luff et al. illuminated a disparity in overall survival among Black and White patients with thyroid cancer; they identified socioeconomic status and health insurance coverage as underlying drivers of this discrepancy [5].

To date, the emphasis primarily centered on morbidity, mortality, complications, and surgical outcomes. Only recently studies started to focus on other metrics for studying disparities in care, such as treatment delays. Ginzberg et al. found that in patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer the median time elapsed between diagnosis and surgery was shorter for privately insured patients (42 days) compared to patients with Medicare and Medicaid (both 48 days) [6]. A study using national data found significantly longer time to treatments in patient who were non-White, had Medicare/Medicaid insurance, and lived further from treatment facility [7]. To add to these recent studies, current study explored potential disparities in surgical papillary thyroid cancer treatment by investigating the temporal interval between diagnosis and surgical intervention.