Geographic Distribution of Radiation Oncologists in the United States

The geographic distribution of radiation oncologists determines access to care for patients and job opportunities for practicing physicians, yet available data on practicing radiation oncologists are outdated or use large geographic unit definitions precluding granular analysis. We present an updated county-level analysis of the American radiation oncology workforce.

We used the Area Health Resource File published by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine the number of radiation oncologists per 100,000 people in every or equivalent area in the United States as of 2017 (the most recently published data). We then analyzed geographic distribution per U.S. Census Bureau-defined regions, subregions, and combined statistical areas.

The Area Health Resource File reports 5338 practicing radiation oncologists for an estimated American population of 326.1 million people as of 2017, resulting in a nationwide average of 1.64 radiation oncologists per 100,000 people. Counties located outside of a metropolitan area had a lower density of radiation oncologists than those within a metropolitan area. Among combined statistical areas (representing most large cities) the variations in density of radiation oncologists are small, with the highest-density areas located in smaller communities with academic medical centers. There was no relationship between population of combined statistical areas and density of radiation oncologists.

The geographic distribution of American radiation oncologists varies widely; the primary variation exists along the urban/rural continuum, with rural areas having fewer practitioners than urban areas. This analysis informs future work in understanding how to optimize the delivery of radiation oncology services throughout the United States.