Open Access
ARTICLE
Comparative analysis of breast and lung cancer survival rates and clinical trial enrollments among rural and urban patients in Georgia
TATIANA KURILO*, REBECCA D. PENTZ
Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, USA
* Address correspondence to: Tatiana Kurilo,
tatianakurilo@yahoo.com
Oncology Research https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2024.050266
Received 01 February 2024; Accepted 16 April 2024; Published online 29 May 2024
Abstract
Background: Rural patients have poor cancer outcomes and clinical trial (CT) enrollment compared to urban
patients due to attitudinal, awareness, and healthcare access differential. Knowledge of cancer survival disparities and CT
enrollment is important for designing interventions and innovative approaches to address the stated barriers. The study
explores the potential disparities in cancer survival rates and clinical trial enrollments in rural and urban breast and lung
cancer patients. Our hypotheses are that for both cancer types, urban cancer patients will have longer 5-year survival rates
and higher enrollment rates in clinical trials than those in rural counties. Methods: We compared breast and lung cancer
patients’ survival rates and enrollment ratios in clinical trials between rural (RUCC 4-9) and urban counties in Georgia at
a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). To assess these differences, we carried out a series of independent samples t-tests
and Chi-Square tests. Results: The outcomes indicate comparable 5-year survival rates across rural and urban counties for
breast and lung cancer patients, failing to substantiate our hypothesis. While clinical trial enrollment rates demonstrated a
significant difference between breast and lung cancer patients at CCC, no significant variation was observed based on
rural or urban classification. Conclusion: These findings underscore the need for further research into the
representation of rural patients with diverse cancer types at CCC and other cancer centers. Further, the findings have
considerable implications for the initiation of positive social change to improve CT participation and reduce cancer
survival disparities.
Keywords
Cancer, Cancer survival rates, Clinical trial enrollment, Rural patients, Health disparities, Barriers to clinical trial participation, Geographic disparities
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