Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Cancer

Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Primary Care: Preliminary Effectiveness and Implementation of a Collaborative Mailed Fecal Immunochemical Test Pilot
Examines the feasibility of implementing a mailed fecal immunochemical test (FIT) program in rural clinics to improve screening rates for colorectal cancer (CRC). Discusses the effectiveness of additional strategies in FIT programs such as auto-calling and live reminder calls from clinics. Provides data on screening success rates and qualitative feedback from clinic staff on the program.
Author(s): Melinda M. Davis, Jen Coury, Jean Hiebert Larson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(1), 279-290
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
The State of Health in Tennessee: 2023 Annual Report to the 113th Tennessee General Assembly
Provides a comprehensive overview of health in Tennessee, including health outcomes of individuals and information on the health of the state's healthcare system. Includes statistics on rural hospitals that have closed in recent years, and those at risk of closure as of 2022. Features county-level maps showing Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
view details
Pre-Pandemic Geographic Access to Hospital-Based Telehealth for Cancer Care in the United States
Explores the availability of telehealth and oncology services across geographic and sociodemographic domains before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes 2019 and 2020 data sources to examine hospital characteristics by telehealth and oncology services, with information on hospital ownership, number of hospital beds, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) status, presence of Rural Health Clinic (RHC) co-located at hospital, and more. Includes availability of telehealth, oncology, and hospital services broken down by county; HPSA status; income, average age, and race/ethnicity of residents; ratio of population to primary care physicians; rural noncore, rural micropolitan, or urban status; and more.
Author(s): David I. Shalowitz, Peiyin Hung, Whitney E. Zahnd, Jan Eberth
Citation: PLoS One, 18(1)
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
Geographic Access to Pediatric Cancer Care in the US
Examines estimated travel time for various populations to access pediatric cancer care in the United States. Analyzes data from more than 90 million children and adolescents and young adults (AYAs) extracted from 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Includes demographic breakdowns of median travel time by race/ethnicity, age, health insurance status, area deprivation index (ADI), U.S. region, and urban, large town, small town, or rural location. Provides maps that show travel time from population centroids of U.S. ZIP code tabulation areas as well as per capita pediatric oncologist supply by Census division and state.
Author(s): Xiaohui Liu, Mark N. Fluchel, Anne C. Kirchhoff, Haojie Zhu, Tracy Onega
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2251524
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
Shorter Time to Treatment Is Associated With Improved Survival in Rural Patients With Breast Cancer Despite Other Adverse Socioeconomic Factors
Analyzes the relationship between time to treatment initiation (TTI) and overall survival (OS) of cancer patients. Examines 1,205,031 women with breast cancer from 2004 to 2012 by socioeconomic and demographic information, with data further broken down by rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Minh-Tri Nguyen, Wei Wei, Gregory Cooper, Alok A. Khorana, Suneel D. Kamath
Citation: Oncology, 37(1), 19-24
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
Care Coordination and Community Partnerships for Cancer Care in Critical Access Hospitals
Presents findings from a survey of 135 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) regarding care coordination practices for patients with cancer. Describes the types of care coordination services provided by CAHs and the staff that provide these services. Discusses partnerships between CAHs and community organizations regarding cancer initiatives.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Xiomara Santana, Nathan Bean, Helen Parsons, Ira Moscovice
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Assessing the Use of Constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research in U.S. Rural Cancer Screening Promotion Programs: A Systematic Search and Scoping Review
Reports on a literature review examining the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) domains and constructs in rural cancer screening promotion programs. Explains the 5 CFIR domains of intervention, inner setting, outer setting, individuals, and process that influence the success of implementing interventions. Discusses 15 studies that examine how CFIR is used and reflects on how cancer screening promotion programs can be improved in rural areas.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Moss, Kelsey C. Stoltzfus, Madyson L. Popalis, William A. Calo, Jennifer L. Kraschnewski
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 23, 48
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
Distance and Transportation Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening in a Rural Community
Discusses barriers, facilitators, and intervention needs related to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening at the system, provider, and patient levels. Reports on 40 interviews conducted with clinical practitioners and staff in rural Southern Illinois from 2017 to 2018 about assisting patients with navigating barriers. Focuses on issues of transportation, distance, and access in rural areas.
Author(s): Katharine M. N. Lee, Jean Hunleth, Liz Rolf, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 14
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
Arkansas Facts and Figures Overview
Offers data for cancer in Arkansas including incidence, mortality, various demographics, rural and urban designation, and more. Includes county-level data and further analysis of breast, prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum cancer data.
Author(s): Daniela Ramirez Aguilar
Date: 2023
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Central Cancer Registry, Arkansas Department of Health
view details
Association of First Primary Cancer with Risk of Subsequent Primary Cancer among Survivors of Adult-Onset Cancers in Kentucky and Appalachian Kentucky
Evaluated 148,509 Kentucky first primary cancer survivors to determine risk of subsequent primary cancers. Compared outcomes for rural Appalachian residents with urban non-Appalachian residents as well as other variables such as cancer type, gender, and more.
Author(s): Quan Chen, Bin Huang, Abigail M. Anderson, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Oncology, 13
Date: 2023
Type: Document
view details