Closing The Rural Cancer Care Gap

Today, Americans diagnosed with cancer in rural areas face greater challenges in accessing cancer care, and as a result, they generally have worse outcomes than their urban and suburban counterparts. According to recent data:

• Americans in rural areas have higher death rates for multiple common cancers – including lung, colorectal, prostate and cervical – than those living in urban areas.
• There are growing disparities in cancer death rates, which are decreasing at a slower pace in rural areas than in urban ones.
• Four in 10 rural Americans who have or had cancer say there aren’t cancer specialists near their home.

The meeting will convene some of the nation’s top physicians, advocates and rural health experts for a discussion on the challenges facing Americans living with cancer in rural areas and promising opportunities to improve outcomes. This event will explore a wide range of topics, including:

• Availability of cancer care specialists, transportation and financial barriers, and other access challenges
• Technologies, programs to improve clinical trial access, and promising partnerships to help close access gaps and improve the delivery of rural cancer care