Ontology highlight
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 = 45 304) categorized as rural/small-town. Rural/small-town patients traveled farther for treatment and were from areas characterized by lower income and education(all p < 0.001). Survival probabilities for rural/small-town patients were worse at 1 year (85% vs. 87%), 5 years (48% vs. 54%), and 10 years (26% vs. 31%) (p < 0.001). Travel distance >100 miles (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.16, vs. <25 miles) and living in a rural/small-town county (HR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07) were associated with increased risk for death.Conclusions
Rural and small-town patients with surgically treated NSCLC had worse survival outcomes compared to urban and metropolitan patients.
SUBMITTER: Logan CD
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9710511 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Logan Charles D CD Feinglass Joe J Halverson Amy L AL Lung Kalvin K Kim Samuel S Bharat Ankit A Odell David D DD
Journal of surgical oncology 20220917 7
<h4>Background</h4>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.<h4>Methods</h4>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 ...[more]