Disparities in Access to Colorectal Cancer Care in France
Author Information
Author(s): Dejardin O, Bouvier A-M, Herbert C, Velten M, Buemi A, Delafosse P, Maarouf N, Boutreux S, Launoy G
Primary Institution: Cancers & Populations ERI3 INSERM, Faculté de Médecine, Caen, France
Hypothesis
The study investigates the relationship between social and geographic characteristics and access to reference care sites for colorectal cancer surgery in France.
Conclusion
Patients living far from reference cancer sites are less frequently treated at these sites compared to those living nearby.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 22.6% of patients were treated in a reference cancer site.
- Patients living more than 46.4 km from a reference site were less likely to be treated there.
- Female patients were less often treated in reference sites compared to male patients.
- Social characteristics like occupation and marital status did not influence the type of care centre.
Takeaway
If you live far away from a special hospital for cancer, you might not get treated there as often as someone who lives close by.
Methodology
Data from six French cancer registries were analyzed for colorectal cancer patients diagnosed in 1995, focusing on social and geographic factors affecting access to care.
Potential Biases
The lack of systematic data on occupation in medical files may reduce the robustness of the findings.
Limitations
One-third of patients had unknown occupation data, which may introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Patients included both genders, with a mean age of 69.9 years, and varied social classes.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.005
Confidence Interval
(0.33–0.76)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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