Living Outside of Comprehensive Cancer Center Catchment Area Tied to Later-Stage Diagnosis

TUESDAY, May 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) — 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.

Abstract/Full Text