The objective of our study was to examine delays between onset of symptoms and treatment for malignant spinal cord compression （MSCC） and to investigate outcomes of neurological function. We performed a retrospective study of clinical records for 25 patients who had been diagnosed with MSCC at a regional center hospital. Thirteen patients had a history of malignancy at the onset of MSCC and 12 patients had no history. For most patients, pain was the first symptom of MSCC. Pain preceded neurologic symptoms by approximately 2 months. The median delays from onset of symptoms of MSCC to treatment were 49 days for all patients, 79 days for those without a history of malignancy and 41.5 days for those with a history of malignancy. It took 39 days from onset to consultation at the hospital, 7 days from consultation to diagnosis and 11 days from diagnosis to treatment. Neurological status was not exacerbated in 8 of 9 patients who had no other neurologic dysfunction at the time of treatment, while only 4 of 10 patients who had deterioration of motor or sensory function at the time of treatment showed improvement in neurological status. In conclusion, there were many delays in all processes from onset to treatment for MSCC and these delays resulted in poor outcome of neurological function.