People who reside in rural areas generally are older, “engage in risky health behaviors,” and show a “lower adherence to preventive care” compared to their suburban and urban peers, according to the NIH.Īll of this puts members of these rural communities at higher risk of not just cancer but other chronic diseases as well. The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute pinpoints some of the key reasons why disparities in cancer treatment, care, and outcomes persist between urban and rural parts of the country.įor example, they cite “socioeconomic deprivation, limited access to quality healthcare, and risk factors for cancer relative to residents of urban areas” as driving factors. What accounts for some of these urban-rural disparities? Healthline spoke with a range of experts about what is being done to close that urban-rural divide and make for a more equitable environment for cancer treatment and care nationwide in the decades ahead. The statistics at the time showed cancer death rates in rural areas stood at 180 deaths per every 100,000 people, compared to urban area rates, which were 158 deaths per 100,000 people. In 2017, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed cancer deaths are higher in rural America than they are in urban areas. behind heart disease, with an expected total of 1.9 million new cancer cases and 609,360 deaths from cancer in 2022 alone.
The American Cancer Society reports that cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. One area deserving particular focus is the division between urban metropolitan centers where many of the nation’s leading oncology centers are located and rural communities that face barriers to access for specialized cancer care. Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a society, we have rightly been taking a magnifying glass to examine ways in which cultural and economic disparities have created gulfs in healthcare equity across the board in the United States. New groups are working to bring improved cancer care to those in rural areas through the use of new technology and programs.This is partially due to financial and geographical barriers to care for those in rural areas.Studies have shown that cancer death rates in rural areas are higher compared to urban area rates.Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S.Share on Pinterest Clinicians as well as private and public entities have been devising creative solutions to create a better future for those living with cancer in rural areas.
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