Cancer Care In Rural Areas

Everyday more and more rural communities are ignored and separated from adequate health care. In the United States alone 19% of the population is considered to be living in rural areas. These rural communities suffer from lack of access to healthcare as well as financial stability to receive proper care.

Most people living in rural areas have the common problem of the commute to the nearest healthcare facility. Specifically for cancer care 20% of rural residents in America live at least 60 miles from an oncologist. The distance not only delays immediate care it can also prove discouraging for patients. A long trip for regular check ups can be expensive and time consuming if they rely on public transport. If these rural communities were able to access a clinic or cancer care center they are met with the lack of professionals and technology. Only 12% to 15% of oncologists in America work in rural areas. The lack of healthcare professionals in rural areas is due to a number of reasons including social, physical, and human capital. Most health professionals desire advanced medical equipment and an advanced team which they not only can collaborate with but can learn from. This criteria is difficult to find in rural areas, making them an undesirable location for most healthcare professionals. Treatments for cancer – chemotherapy, stem cell therapy, photodynamic, etc. – require highly developed techniques and technology which are expensive and hard to find. 

Cost of treatment is another common issue faced by those in rural areas. A majority of the population in rural areas is older, meaning they rely on medicare and often have very little income. Costs for treatment vary depending on the type of cancer that the patient has. Cancers such as prostate cancer can cost up to $71,300 but those with myeloid leukemia can pay up to $239,400 annually. Besides the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer plays a role in the annual cost for treatment. Typically insurance covers the costs for the treatment but 12.3% of the rural population lack health insurance, meaning most of the payment for the treatment comes out of pocket. The Affordable health care act does assist people in paying for the cancer treatments but 10 states have not passed the act as of 2024. 

Due to the ignorance and lack of resources for rural areas patients are often diagnosed late and even when diagnosed it is too late. The late discovery can lead to increased treatment prices and a stage in which the cancer cannot be treated anymore. Encouraging healthcare professionals to work in rural areas and helping technological developments for rural areas can improve access and quality of cancer care in rural areas. 

Sources:

https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2020.88548

https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=106138#:~:text=These%20findings%20suggest%20that%20rural,study%20regions%20and%20professional%20categories.

https://www.arizonaoncologyfoundation.org/are-cancer-treatments-covered-by-insurance/

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/04/health-insurance-rural-america.html

https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/cancer-care-costs-in-the-united-states-are-projected-to-exceed-245-billion-by-2030/