Higher Mortality, Less Improvement Seen for Rural Residents With Head, Neck Cancer
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, July 11, 2024 -- Compared with their urban counterparts, rural residents with head and neck cancer (HNC) have higher mortality rates and less annual improvement, according to a research letter published online June 27 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Nino Balanchivadze, M.D., from the Virginia Oncology Associates in Norfolk, and colleagues examined disparities in age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) and place of death for individuals with HNC in rural and metropolitan (metro) areas by analyzing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database from 2003 to 2019.
The researchers found that 221,861 patients with HNC died from 2003 to 2019 (48.5, 31.9, and 19.7 percent for large metro, small/medium metro, and rural, respectively). From 2003 to 2019, AAMRs declined from 6.7 to 5.8 per 100,000. Higher AAMRs and slower annual improvement were seen in rural areas (annual percentage change [APC], −0.11) compared with small/medium and large metro areas (APCs, −0.51 and −1.19, respectively). The largest proportion of deaths and least improvements overall were seen for White individuals (62, 67, and 76 percent for large metro, small/medium metro, and rural). The highest AAMR and quickest annual improvement was seen for Black patients compared with Hispanic and White patients (APC, −2.91 versus −1.42 and −0.26, respectively).
"Policy interventions and infrastructural investments supporting disadvantaged populations are imperative," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to Gilead Advisory.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Guidelines Address RT for Management of HPV-Linked Oropharyngeal Cancer
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- In a clinical practice guideline issued by the American Society for Radiation Oncology and published online June 18 in Practical Radiation Oncology...
American Association for Cancer Research, April 5-10
The annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research was held this year from April 5 to 10 in San Diego, drawing approximately 19,000 participants from around the...
AACR: Novel Personalized Vaccine Feasible for Head and Neck Cancer
TUESDAY, April 9, 2024 -- The novel viral-based personalized cancer vaccine, TG4050, which encodes up to 30 patient- and tumor-specific sequences is feasible and safe for patients...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.