Living Outside of Comprehensive Cancer Center Catchment Area Tied to Later-Stage Diagnosis
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, May 28, 2024 -- Disadvantaged populations and those living outside of a comprehensive cancer center's main catchment area have higher odds of receiving a diagnosis of late-stage cancer, according to a study published online May 2 in JAMA Network Open.
Michael R. Desjardins, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and colleagues used spatial and statistical analyses to identify disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis within and outside a comprehensive cancer center catchment area across a 10-year period. The analysis included 94,007 patients identified from a single-center cancer registry (2010 to 2019).
The researchers found that 50.26 percent of patients received a diagnosis of early-stage cancer, 20.73 percent received a diagnosis of late-stage cancer, and 29.01 percent were diagnosed with an unknown stage. Higher odds of late-stage cancers were seen for those living outside the main catchment area for those who received only a diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 1.50) or only treatment (OR, 1.44) at the center. Higher odds of receiving a late-stage cancer diagnosis were also seen among non-Hispanic Black patients (OR, 1.16), as well as those with Medicaid (OR, 1.65) or no insurance at time of treatment (OR, 2.12).
"These findings suggest that disadvantaged populations and those living outside of a comprehensive cancer center’s main catchment area may face barriers to screening and treatment, resulting in higher odds of receiving a diagnosis of late-stage cancer," the authors write.
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 May 2024
Read this next
AI-Assisted Contours Superior to Cognitively Defined Prostate Cancer Contours
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted definition of prostate cancer contours reduces underestimation of the extent of prostate cancer, according to a...
Vaginal Cancer Incidence Increasing Globally
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- The incidence of vaginal cancer is increasing globally, according to a study published online June 25 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics...
Mean Cost of Bringing New Drug to U.S. Market Is $879.3 Million
TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- The mean cost of developing a new drug for the U.S. market is estimated to be $879.3 million when both drug development failure and capital costs are...
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.