Distance from Hospital Impacts Cancer Diagnosis and Survival in Young Adults
Adolescents and young adults who live in rural vs metropolitan counties in the United States, and further away from hospitals, are more likely to be detected at a later cancer stage, and have lower survival rates, as compared to those living in metropolitan counties and close to the hospital.
In a recent study from the Brown School at Washington University, “A number of studies have indicated that place of residence can influence cancer survivoral, however, few studies have specifically focused on geographic factors and outcomes in adolescents and young adults with cancer.”
Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) records, over 180,000 records for adolescents and young adults were analyzed, ages 15-39 years who were diagnosed with cancer from 2010-2014. The results determined that residence in metro, urban or rural counties at the time of diagnosis. Distance between the patient’s residence and the reporting hospital was categorized as short (< 12.5 miles), intermediate (between 12.5-50 miles) and long (> 50 miles).
Study results found that adolescents and young adults living in rural counties had a 1.16 to be diagnosed at a later stage and 1.2 times greater if they were living at a long vs short distance from the hospital. Death rates were 1.17 times greater for those living in rural versus metropolitan counties and 1.30 times greater for long versus short distances from the reporting hospital.
Researchers at Brown hope to continue to evaluate geographic disparities in cancer care to understand the mechanisms for these findings and to encourage interventions to address them.
For cancer registrars working in accredited programs, use of the CQIP reports may offer opportunities for the Cancer Committee to look at these geographic and age-related disparities at your local facility.
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