Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Cancer Prevention and Treatment in Rural Areas – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Cancer Prevention and Treatment in Rural Areas.

Disparities in Melanoma Outcomes In Urban Versus Rural Settings: An Analysis from the Nebraska Cancer Registry 2001-2016
A research letter that analyzes health disparities related to melanoma outcomes in rural versus urban populations. Examines 9,688 individuals with melanoma between 2001 and 2016 utilizing the Nebraska Cancer Registry to observe the mortality rate of patients when considering rurality, race, sex, age, and stage/site of the cancer.
Author(s): Elizabeth M. Mata, Natalia Trinidad, Elliot Blue, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 89(2), 350-352
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
view details
Availability of Cancer Care Services and the Organization of Care Delivery at Critical Access Hospitals
Examines the availability and organization of cancer care services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Summarizes results of a survey of nursing and patient care leaders at 135 CAHs. Describes cancer treatment, diagnostic, and screening services provided at CAHs and the staff used to deliver patient care. Identifies four levels of CAH cancer care services.
Author(s): Ira Moscovice, Helen Parsons, Nathan Bean, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 2023
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
view details
The Interplay of Financial Toxicity, Health Care Team Communication, and Psychosocial Well-being among Rural Cancer Patients and Survivors
Examines the relationship among financial toxicity, healthcare team communication, and psychosocial health among rural oncology patients. Analyzes 273 patients who participated in the Cancer Support Community's Cancer Experience Registry between 2017-2023 by demographic information, depression, anxiety, social functioning, and healthcare team communication variables and their correlation with financial toxicity.
Author(s): Melissa F. Miller, Julie S. Olson, Kara Doughtie, Alexandra K. Zaleta, Kimberly P. Rogers
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(1), 128-137
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
view details
Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Changes in Patterns of Cancer-Related Mortality in the United States
Analyzes the cancer mortality rate during the 2020 year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic years. Utilizes the 2015-2020 Multiple Cause of Death database to examine mortality by sex, race/ethnicity, urban versus rural residence, and place of death.
Author(s): Jingxuan Zhao, Xuesong Han, Kimberly D. Miller, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 19(7), 501-508
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
view details
Informal and Formal Financial Assistance to Rural Women During Cancer Treatment
Interviews 36 rural women with cancer to explore their methods for handling financial hardship stemming from the costs of cancer. Discusses both informal assistance from the patients' support systems and formal assistance from healthcare systems and organizations. Highlights areas for potential financial disparities within existing inequalities.
Author(s): Emily Hallgren, Tess Thompson, Ramey Moore, et al.
Citation: SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
view details
U.S. Cancer Statistics: Highlights from 2020 Mortality and Incidence with Comparison to 2019 Incidence to Assess the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic
A data brief that presents cancer mortality and incidence in 2020 compared to previous years. Includes breakdowns by sex, race, age, cancer type, Census region, and county-level urbanicity. Discusses impact of COVID-19 on cancer screening, diagnosis, and reporting.
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Video Brochures in a Mailed Fecal Immunochemical Test Outreach Program Provide Cancer Screening Information in a User-friendly Format for Rural Appalachian Community Members
Presents a study on the efficacy of using a video brochure to provide colorectal cancer (CRC) screening information and instructions for a fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) sent out to rural patients in Appalachian Ohio. Explores the barriers to CRC screening, including the low rates of returning FITs, and discusses the effect the video brochure had on this process.
Author(s): Mira L. Katz, Abigail B. Shoben, Sabrina Newell, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
view details
Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural and Urban Primary Care Practices Amid Implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act
Analyzes the rate of colorectal cancer screening in 139 primary care practices between 2016 and 2020, following the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which provides financial incentives for screening. Includes colorectal cancer screening rates by year and quarter, social deprivation, age, race, region, and rurality, with comparisons between rural and urban primary care practices.
Author(s): Tyrone F. Borders, Zachary J. Morgan, Lars E. Peterson
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 14
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
view details
Policy Recommendations for Improving Rural Cancer Services in the United States
Discusses cancer healthcare access for rural residents and factors in access challenges. Discusses rural physician recruitment, facility closures, reimbursement, data gathering, and graduate medical education. Offers policy recommendations for incentivizing and increasing the rural cancer care workforce as well as gathering cancer-related data.
Author(s): Adrienne B. Lent, Daniel Derksen, Elizabeth T. Jacobs, Leila Barraza, Elizabeth A. Calhoun
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 19(5), 288-294
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
view details
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Patients in Western Pennsylvania: Rural–Urban Disparities
Examines the impact of COVID-19 and related concerns on cancer patients in rural and urban areas of Pennsylvania. Analyzes a sample of 1,980 patient surveys from August-December 2020 and March 2021 by patient perception of pandemic-related distress, cancer care, COVID-19 impact on personal health, and more. Includes rural versus urban data on COVID-19 concerns related to cancer care as well as demographic breakdowns.
Author(s): Kathryn Demanelis, Margaret Rosenzweig, Linda B. Robertson, et al.
Citation: Cancer Causes Control, 34(7), 595-609
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
view details

Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 6/12/2024