Rural-urban survival disparities for patients with surgically treated lung cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common diagnosis among patients living in rural areas and small towns who face unique challenges accessing care. We examined differences in survival for surgically treated rural and small-town patients compared to those from urban and metropolitan areas.

Methods

The National Cancer Database was used to identify surgically treated NSCLC patients from 2004 to 2016. Patients from rural/small-town counties were compared to urban/metro counties. Differences in patient clinical, sociodemographic, hospital, and travel characteristics were described. Survival differences were examined with Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

The study included 366 373 surgically treated NSCLC patients with 12.4% (n

SUBMITTER: Logan CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9710511 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature