Introduction: The burden of oral cancer is rising, especially in the Indian subcontinent, which contributes one-third of all global cases. Oral cancer, though preventable, often goes undetected until later stages. This study aimed to estimate the patient, diagnostic and treatment intervals in the care trajectory of patients with oral cancer.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Delhi. The study included 116 patients with histopathologically confirmed oral cancer who were receiving treatment within the last 3 months, selected by purposive sampling. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. The ‘Aarhus statement’ guidelines were followed in designing and reporting the study.

Results: The study population had a mean age of 47.6 ± 11.1 years; 87.3% were male, 51.8% were from a lower socioeconomic group and 67.3% presented with Stage IV disease. The median (interquartile range) patient, diagnostic, treatment and total intervals were 13.5 (5.0, 55.7) days, 89.5 (38.0, 228.7) days, 55.0 (29.0, 95.5) days and 202.0 (135.7, 451.5) days, respectively. Delays were mainly due to symptoms being dismissed as minor (98.1%), initial healthcare workers not suspecting cancer (47.2%) and excessive delays in completing investigations required before initiating treatment (20.9%).

Conclusion: A majority of the patients with oral cancer presented with advanced-stage disease, with diagnostic interval being the longest, followed by treatment and patient intervals. Future studies should evaluate interventions to reduce the three intervals and also assess the impact of these interventions on the disease outcome.