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The rural disadvantage - prostate cancer outcomes of rural and urban patients over 25 years

  • 0Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
The Journal of Rural Health : Official Journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association +

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March 3, 2025

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March 3, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Rural men face worse prostate cancer outcomes and higher mortality rates compared to urban men, despite universal healthcare. Targeted interventions are needed to address these geographic disparities in cancer care.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background

  • Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in men.
  • Geographic location influences prostate cancer incidence and outcomes.
  • Disparities in cancer care persist even within universal healthcare systems.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To evaluate long-term trends in prostate cancer outcomes between rural and urban populations.
  • To identify persistent disparities in cancer-specific mortality despite universal healthcare access.
  • To inform targeted interventions for rural prostate cancer patients.

Main Methods

  • Retrospective cohort study using data from the Alberta Cancer Registry and Alberta Prostate Cancer Research Initiative (APCaRI).
  • Inclusion of over 45 million person-years of data from 1999-2022.
  • Categorization of residence as urban or rural based on postal codes to analyze prostate cancer-specific mortality.

Main Results

  • Rural men were diagnosed at older ages and had significantly higher age-adjusted prostate cancer-specific mortality rates (52.0 vs. 37.6 deaths per 100,000).
  • While both urban and rural areas showed improvements over time, rural areas consistently exhibited higher mortality.
  • Rural patients presented with minimal but statistically significant differences in PSA, stage, and Gleason Grade Group at diagnosis compared to urban counterparts.

Conclusions

  • Rural men experience significantly worse prostate cancer outcomes than urban men.
  • Persistent disparities in prostate cancer mortality highlight potential access-to-care issues in rural regions.
  • There is a critical need for targeted healthcare interventions to improve prostate cancer care delivery and outcomes in rural areas.

Keywords:

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