Introduction: Cancer patients in rural areas experience greater barriers to treatment access compared with patients in urban areas. There is limited research on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected cancer treatment delivery for rural patients who were also diagnosed with COVID-19. This study has two objectives: to assess (1) the urban-rural differences in cancer care and (2) the predictors of cancer treatment delay or discontinuation (TDD) among patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Methods: We used data from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Survey on COVID-19 in Oncology Registry (March 2020-September 2022), which included cancer patients with test-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (N = 3797). Data included patient sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 diagnosis information, cancer clinical characteristics, and changes to cancer treatment. Cancer TDD was defined as any scheduled treatment by more than 2 weeks. Rurality was examined through both patient residence and oncology practice. We computed adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) using multivariable Poisson regressions to assess predictors of cancer TDD in urban and rural areas.
Results: During the study period, 44.1% of patients with COVID-19 experienced either cancer treatment delay or discontinuation and 5.7% experienced cancer treatment discontinuation. Controlling for other factors, receiving care in a rural oncology practice was associated with cancer TDD (aPR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01-1.55). Differences in cancer TDD were not found across rurality of patient residence. Among rural patients (N = 582), Hispanic/Latinx cancer patients had greater prevalence of cancer TDD (aPR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.04-2.33) compared with non-Hispanic White cancer patients.
Conclusion: Our findings can be used to inform programs and policies to minimize the impact of future public health emergencies on cancer care delivery in rural areas. Additional research is needed to explore potential differences in cancer care delivery across urban and rural oncology practices and patients.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70512 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Genetic ancestry superpopulations show distinct prevalence and outcomes across pediatric central nervous system tumors from the PBTA and PNOC.
Neuro Oncol
January 2025
Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Background: Central nervous system (CNS) tumors lead to cancer-related mortality in children. Genetic ancestry-associated cancer prevalence and outcomes have been studied, but is limited.
Methods: We performed genetic ancestry prediction in 1,452 pediatric patients with paired normal and tumor whole genome sequencing from the Open Pediatric Cancer (OpenPedCan) project to evaluate the influence of reported race and ethnicity and ancestry-based genetic superpopulations on tumor histology, molecular subtype, survival, and treatment.
A whole-body imaging technique for tumor-specific diagnostics and screening of B7-H3-targeted therapies.
J Clin Invest
January 2025
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
Background: B7-H3 or CD276 is notably overexpressed in various malignant tumor cells in humans, with extremely high expression rates. The development of a radiotracer that targets B7-H3 may provide a universal tumor-specific imaging agent and allow the noninvasive assessment of the whole-body distribution of B7-H3-expressing lesions.
Methods: We enhanced and optimized the structure of an affibody (ABY) that targets B7-H3 to create the radiolabeled radiotracer [68Ga]Ga-B7H3-BCH, and then, we conducted both foundational experiments and clinical translational studies.
Third Proceedings of The North American Airway Collaborative (NoAAC): Consensus Statement on Trial Design for Airway Stenosis.
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
January 2025
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Importance: Airway stenosis is a rare but debilitating disorder that significantly degrades the quality of life in affected patients. Treatments are primarily surgical, and disease management lacks established medical therapies. The North American Airway Collaborative held its third symposium at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 15, 2024, focused on strategies to advance the care of these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNot Enough Dentistry.
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
January 2025
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, New Jersey.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Resection of Localized Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Following Preoperative FOLFIRINOX.
JAMA Oncol
January 2025
Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Importance: The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX (combination leucovorin calcium [folinic acid], fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and oxaliplatin in full or modified dosing) chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) is unclear because current studies do not account for the number of cycles of preoperative chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.
Objective: To investigate the association of adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX with OS, taking into account the number of cycles of preoperative chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study included patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with 2 to 11 cycles of preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX followed by resection across 48 centers in 20 countries from 2010 to 2018.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!