Cancer Survival Lower in Rural Areas
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2025 -- Five-year cancer survival rates for each stage of cancer (localized, regional, and distant) is lower in nonmetropolitan areas for Black and White individuals in the United States, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in Cancer.
Farhad Islami, M.D., Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined variations in age-standardized, stage-specific five-year cancer survival and receipt of cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy in Black and White persons in large metropolitan (population ≥1 million), small-medium metropolitan (<1 million), and nonmetropolitan areas. The analysis included all, lung, female breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers diagnosed in 2015 to 2021.
The researchers found that the overall five-year cancer survival for localized-stage, regional-stage, and distant-stage cancers was lower in nonmetropolitan than metropolitan areas for both Black and White populations (2, 5, and 3 to 7 percentage points, respectively). Additionally, survival was lower in Black than White persons across categories of urbanicity (1 to 2, 7, and 4 to 7 percentage points, respectively). Similarly, the stage-specific survival by cancer type was lower in Black than White persons across most categories of urbanicity, especially in large metropolitan areas in those aged 65 years and younger, for breast and colorectal cancer, and some stages and categories of urbanicity for lung and prostate cancer. For Black patients, the receipt of cancer surgery for localized-stage and regional-stage cancers was lower compared with White persons for most evaluated cancers and categories of urbanicity. Receipt of chemotherapy and radiotherapy varied by cancer, stage, and urbanicity. Generally, there was an association between lower five-year cancer survival and lower receipt of cancer treatment.
"Increasing access to cancer care to these historically marginalized populations is critically needed to mitigate disparities," Islami said in a statement.
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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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