BETHESDA, MD. (RFD-TV) — Women living in rural communities are facing a growing disadvantage in breast cancer survival compared with women in large metropolitan areas, as barriers to screening, specialist care, and treatment continue to affect access to cancer services.
Dr. Robin Yabroff, scientific vice president of health services research with the American Cancer Society (ACS), joined Market Day Report to discuss the widening disparity and how programs such as ACS Hope Lodge help patients manage the costs of traveling for treatment.
In her interview with RFD-TV, Yabroff said rural women are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, face higher mortality rates and experience lower survival following diagnosis.
Rural-Urban Survival Gap Widens
Recent American Cancer Society research found that the survival gap between rural and metropolitan women with breast cancer has widened over time. Among women diagnosed between 2017 and 2023, those living in nonmetropolitan areas had a 9.3% higher rate of death than women in large metropolitan areas, compared with a 3.4% difference during 2010 to 2016.
“There has been a bit of a shift,” Yabroff said. “It used to be that women living in urban areas had higher late-stage diagnosis and mortality rates. But now what we’re seeing is women in rural areas are having higher mortality rates, higher late-stage incidence rates, and worse survival.”
She said the disparity highlights how advances in breast cancer detection and treatment are not reaching all communities equally.
Distance and Cost Create Barriers to Care
Yabroff said rural communities often have fewer primary care providers, shortages of oncology specialists, and hospitals at risk of closing. Those challenges can force patients to travel long distances to access screening, diagnosis, and specialized treatment.
The financial burden extends beyond medical bills. Patients may also need to cover transportation, lodging, and other expenses while receiving care away from home.
Even patients with health insurance may struggle to afford treatment, Yabroff said, especially when specialty care is outside their provider network or far from home.
She described this as being underinsured: having coverage but still being unable to afford the care needed.
Hope Lodge Helps Patients Travel for Treatment
The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge program provides free lodging for cancer patients and caregivers who must travel for treatment. The program currently operates 31 locations across the United States and Puerto Rico. More information is available through the ACS Hope Lodge website.
Yabroff said removing lodging expenses can help patients access care they might otherwise struggle to afford. Transportation remains another concern, particularly as fuel prices add to the cost of traveling for treatment.
The American Cancer Society also operates a 24-hour helpline at 1-800-227-2345, where patients and families can learn about available resources and support services.
Improving Access to Rural Cancer Care
Yabroff said rural hospitals, healthcare providers and community organizations can help improve outcomes by connecting patients with screening, treatment and supportive services.
She also emphasized the role of policies that expand access to comprehensive, affordable health insurance and improve access to specialty care.
Research from the American Cancer Society has found that health insurance coverage expansions are associated with earlier diagnoses, earlier treatment, and better survival. Yabroff said these improvements can also help reduce differences in outcomes between rural and urban patients.
“The guiding principle that we tend to follow at the American Cancer Society is that everyone should have an equal and just opportunity to prevent, diagnose, treat, and survive cancer,” Yabroff said. “And that should be no matter where they live.”
Where Patients Can Find Help
For women in rural communities facing a cancer diagnosis, Yabroff encouraged patients and caregivers to contact the American Cancer Society to learn about available assistance, including lodging options and other support resources.
Patients can learn more by calling 1-800-227-2345 to speak with the organization’s support team or visiting cancer.org.
