Rural cancer survivors are more likely than urban ones to forgo treatment because of cost

Rural cancer survivors under 65 are more likely than urban ones to forgo further medical care and prescription costs for financial reasons, and rural residents 65 and older are more likely to not get medical or dental care because of cost, according to a study by the Wake Forest School of Medicine, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

The study analyzed 7,804 cancer survivors, 1,642 from rural areas, in the 2006-10 National Health Interview Survey. It found that 25.3 percent of younger rural cancer survivors delayed or didn't get medical care, compared to 18 percent in urban areas; 22.1 percent of rural survivors said they couldn't afford prescriptions, compared to 15.5 percent in urban areas,; and 23.3 percent of rural survivors said they couldn't afford dental care, compared to the urban rate of 19.6 percent.

The numbers were much lower for those 65 and older, with 7.6 percent or rural survivors skipping care, 4.4 percent saying they couldn't afford prescriptions, and 4.8 percent saying they couldn't afford dental care. Less than 2 percent of urban survivors answered yes to those questions. The full report can be read by clicking here. Earlier, Wake Forest researchers determined that rural cancer survivors are living less healthy lives than their urban counterparts; for that, go here.