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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Cancer

Proximity to Cancer Rehabilitation and Exercise Oncology by Geography, Race, and Socioeconomic Status
Examines the proximity to cancer rehabilitation and exercise oncology (CR/EO) programs and the health impacts of access. Utilizes 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data to analyze 2,133 CR/EO programs, with breakdowns according to CR/EO distance, density, rural versus urban location, race/ethnicity, social deprivation index, U.S. region, and cancer incidence and mortality. Includes U.S. maps showing location of CR/EO programs and areas with or without proximity to programs.
Author(s): Kathryn H. Schmitz, Kathryn Demanelis, Mary E. Crisafio, et al.
Citation: Cancer: An International Interdisciplinary Journal of the American Cancer Society, 131(1)
Date: 01/2025
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2024 Louisiana Health Report Card
Provides vital statistics and other health data by parish for Louisiana. Covers disease incidence, behavioral health, and mortality, with highlighted topics including cancer, teen pregnancy, low birthweight babies, infectious disease, opioid use, deaths due to suicide and violence, and more.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Department of Health
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Oklahoma Breast & Cervical Cancer Annual Addendum: State Fiscal Year 2025
Discusses programs and initiatives supporting breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatment in Oklahoma. Includes color-coded maps showing ranges of breast and cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Oklahoma counties.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State Department of Health
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New Mexico Health Care Authority Data Book 2025
2025 data book providing dashboards on food security, health and wellness, housing, healthcare access and affordability, health insurance coverage, Medicaid eligibility, and more for the state of New Mexico. Includes county-level data on a variety of demographic, economic, and health topics.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Health Care Authority
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State of Georgia House of Representatives Study Committee on Cancer Care Access: Final Report
Reports on cancer care access in Georgia, providing an overview of testimony from organizations, agencies, and providers involved with cancer care and offering policy recommendations to improve access to quality cancer care and improve the supply of the oncology care workforce in the state. Discusses rural areas throughout.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia House Committee on Cancer Care Access, State of Georgia House of Representatives
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America's Health Rankings 2025 Health of Women and Children Report
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of the health of infants, children, and women of reproductive age. Compares rural-urban differences in mortality, severe morbidity, healthcare access, substance use, mental health conditions, and more among reproductive-age women at the national level, including a spotlight on chronic conditions among women in rural communities on document page 3. Includes maps that show concentrated disadvantage by county within each state.
Additional links: Concentrated Disadvantage by County, State Summaries
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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The State of Cancer in Florida: CCRAB Annual Report 2025
Reports cancer data and trends for the state of Florida. Highlights rural-urban disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, and discusses the importance of increasing access to screening and treatment in rural and underserved communities.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Florida Cancer Council & Research Advisory Council (CCRAB)
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The Lived Experiences and Unmet Needs of Prostate and Colorectal Male Cancer Survivors in Rural Virginia: A Qualitative Study
Analyzes unmet needs and lived experiences of 24 male cancer survivors living in rural Virginia. Utilizes focus group feedback to discuss themes such as coping with health problems, quality of and access to healthcare, navigating survivorship, and cancer prevention advocacy.
Author(s): Fariha Tariq, Alexander R. Lucas, Sherrick Hill, Malik Philips, Vanessa B. Sheppard
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
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Travel Burden and Bypassing Closest Site for Surgical Cancer Treatment for Urban and Rural Oncology Patients
Examines travel burden to surgical cancer care and its relationship to rurality, bypassing of the nearest surgical site, and mortality rates. Analyzes 2016-218 data of 211,025 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and includes breakdowns for type of cancer, surgery versus no surgery, patient demographics, patient health conditions, travel time, mortality rates, and location of metro, micro, or small town/rural.
Author(s): Tracy Onega, Niveditta Ramkumar, Gabriel A. Brooks, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
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Trends in and Factors Associated with Family Physician-Performed Screening Colonoscopies in the United States: 2016-2021
Examines factors and trends related to family physician (FP)-performed colonoscopy screenings. Analyzes 2016-2021 insurance claims data from 2,943,900 qualified colonoscopies, with data breakdowns according to patient demographics, accrued charges, region, and urban-rural classification, including large central metro, large fringe metro, medium metro, small metro, micropolitan, and noncore. Discusses the impact of FP-performed colonoscopy screenings for certain populations, including rural.
Author(s): Nicholas Edwardson, David van der Goes, V. Shane Pankratz, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1)
Date: 2025
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