Nearly 10% Women Have Geographic Access Barriers to Gynecological Cancer Care

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania correlated data from Geographic Information Systems, hospital referral regions, census data, and CDC's State Cancer Profiles, to evaluate whether geographic barriers can prevent access to gynecologic cancer care.

In their study, ublished in the journal Gynecologic Oncology, the authors found that 9% of women in the United States (about 14.8 million) live in low-access counties. Women in more than 36% of counties in the country have to travel at least 50 miles to consult with a gynecologic oncologist, which could result in geography-related diaparities in access to care.

The authors suggest conducting studies to identify whether these barriers have a bearing on clinical outcomes among these women. Additionally, they recommend subspecialty care in the low-access regions or restructuring care facilities in the region to minimize the access burden on patients.