Cancer Prevention and Treatment in Rural Areas – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Cancer Prevention and Treatment in Rural Areas.
Ensuring a Strong Future for America's Cancer Workforce: A Report from the President's Cancer Panel to the President of the United States
Identifies priorities and provides recommendations to support the cancer workforce, improve access to clinical trials, and promote high-quality research in the United States. Discusses the rural cancer care workforce and other factors influencing rural access to care throughout.
Author(s): Mitchel S. Berger, Carol L. Brown
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: President's Cancer Panel
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Identifies priorities and provides recommendations to support the cancer workforce, improve access to clinical trials, and promote high-quality research in the United States. Discusses the rural cancer care workforce and other factors influencing rural access to care throughout.
Author(s): Mitchel S. Berger, Carol L. Brown
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: President's Cancer Panel
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Persistent Poverty and Breast Cancer Incidence by Tumor Subtype: Intersections of Rural/Urban Residence and Race Within USA Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Registries, 2017 to 2021
Examines the relationship between breast cancer types and persistent poverty across rurality and demographic variables. Utilizes county-level 2017-2021 (excluding 2020) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to analyze breast cancer subtype rates, with breakdowns according to counties defined as persistent poverty or non-persistent poverty and by rural versus urban. Discusses the impact of sociodemographics on cancer disparities.
Author(s): Heather R. Sherr, Amr S. Soliman, Kimberly A. Bertrand, Kelly A. Hirko
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 37(26)
Date: 01/2026
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Examines the relationship between breast cancer types and persistent poverty across rurality and demographic variables. Utilizes county-level 2017-2021 (excluding 2020) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to analyze breast cancer subtype rates, with breakdowns according to counties defined as persistent poverty or non-persistent poverty and by rural versus urban. Discusses the impact of sociodemographics on cancer disparities.
Author(s): Heather R. Sherr, Amr S. Soliman, Kimberly A. Bertrand, Kelly A. Hirko
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 37(26)
Date: 01/2026
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Outcomes Among Patients With Colon Cancer Living in Neighborhoods With Persistent Poverty
Results of a study comparing clinical outcomes for colon cancer patients based on the number of census tracts per ZIP code that were in persistent poverty at the time of diagnosis. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Leon Naar, Alexa L. Pohl, Arden M. Morris, Aaron J. Dawes,
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2551212.
Date: 01/2026
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Results of a study comparing clinical outcomes for colon cancer patients based on the number of census tracts per ZIP code that were in persistent poverty at the time of diagnosis. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Leon Naar, Alexa L. Pohl, Arden M. Morris, Aaron J. Dawes,
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2551212.
Date: 01/2026
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Temporal Trends and Regional Disparities in Prostate Cancer Mortality in the United States, 1999–2023: An Analysis of the CDC WONDER Database
Examines prostate cancer mortality trends among men in the United States. Utilizes 1999-2023 CDC WONDER data to examine prostate deaths according to demographics, census region, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Zixiong Chai, Sixiang Yan, Haolin Li, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 4263
Date: 12/2025
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Examines prostate cancer mortality trends among men in the United States. Utilizes 1999-2023 CDC WONDER data to examine prostate deaths according to demographics, census region, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Zixiong Chai, Sixiang Yan, Haolin Li, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 4263
Date: 12/2025
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Rural-Urban Differences in the Prevalence of Chronic Pain Among Adult Cancer Survivors
Examines chronic pain differences among rural and urban cancer survivors, using data from the 2019-2021 and 2023 National Health Interview Survey. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Hyojin Choi, Emily Hallgren, Maija Reblin, J. Kathleen Tracy, Erika Ziller
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2549972
Date: 12/2025
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Examines chronic pain differences among rural and urban cancer survivors, using data from the 2019-2021 and 2023 National Health Interview Survey. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Hyojin Choi, Emily Hallgren, Maija Reblin, J. Kathleen Tracy, Erika Ziller
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2549972
Date: 12/2025
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American Cancer Society's Report on the Status of Cancer Disparities in the United States, 2025
Reports on cancer disparities by various demographic factors, socioeconomic status, geography, and other factors, utilizing 2018-2022 North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) data. Contains metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan data comparisons throughout, and discusses factors influencing access to cancer screening and treatment, including rurality.
Author(s): Farhad Islami, Gladys Arias, Dongjun Lee, et al.
Citation: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 76(1), e70045
Date: 12/2025
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Reports on cancer disparities by various demographic factors, socioeconomic status, geography, and other factors, utilizing 2018-2022 North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) data. Contains metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan data comparisons throughout, and discusses factors influencing access to cancer screening and treatment, including rurality.
Author(s): Farhad Islami, Gladys Arias, Dongjun Lee, et al.
Citation: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 76(1), e70045
Date: 12/2025
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Travel Time to Treating Facility and Mortality in Men With Prostate Cancer
Examines the association between longer travel time to treatment and survival among prostate cancer patients. Uses data from a survey of 159,943 patients from Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, and Washington. Features statistics with breakdowns by two levels of population density.
Author(s): Stephan M. Korn, Filippo Dagnino, Danesha Daniels, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2546812
Date: 12/2025
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Examines the association between longer travel time to treatment and survival among prostate cancer patients. Uses data from a survey of 159,943 patients from Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, and Washington. Features statistics with breakdowns by two levels of population density.
Author(s): Stephan M. Korn, Filippo Dagnino, Danesha Daniels, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2546812
Date: 12/2025
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Associations of Social Deprivation and Oncology Physician Network Vulnerability With Acute Care Utilization in the SEER-Medicare Population
Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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Redefining Rurality: Adopting an Identity-Based and Community-Engaged Approach to Defining Rural Cancer Disparities
Discusses how rural definitions influence cancer disparities research via an examination of perspectives originally presented at the Transforming Community and Rural Healthcare 2024 conference. Details limitations and inconsistencies in current rural definitions and highlights the value of community-based participatory research and identity-based approaches to rurality.
Author(s): Trevor Kauer, Courtny L. Franco, Dominique D. Munroe, et al.
Citation: JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Date: 11/2025
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Discusses how rural definitions influence cancer disparities research via an examination of perspectives originally presented at the Transforming Community and Rural Healthcare 2024 conference. Details limitations and inconsistencies in current rural definitions and highlights the value of community-based participatory research and identity-based approaches to rurality.
Author(s): Trevor Kauer, Courtny L. Franco, Dominique D. Munroe, et al.
Citation: JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Date: 11/2025
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Leveraging the Rural-Urban Commuting Area Tool to Address Geographic Disparities in Cancer Care: A Dual-Application Framework for Institutional and National Initiatives
Details an open-access Rural-Urban Community Area (RUCA) tool to standardize patients' geographic coding in cancer disparities research by integrating RUCA codes with census tract and electronic health record system data. Provides data on the tool's application, utilizing 2023 cancer registry data provided by Wake Forest Cancer Center in North Carolina.
Author(s): Meredith C.B. Adams, Cody L. Hudson, Matthew L. Perkins, Robert W. Hurley, Umit Topaloglu
Citation: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 9, e2500122
Date: 11/2025
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Details an open-access Rural-Urban Community Area (RUCA) tool to standardize patients' geographic coding in cancer disparities research by integrating RUCA codes with census tract and electronic health record system data. Provides data on the tool's application, utilizing 2023 cancer registry data provided by Wake Forest Cancer Center in North Carolina.
Author(s): Meredith C.B. Adams, Cody L. Hudson, Matthew L. Perkins, Robert W. Hurley, Umit Topaloglu
Citation: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 9, e2500122
Date: 11/2025
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Last Updated: 1/27/2026