Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39844369›Full record

ArticleCancer medicine2025

Urban and Rural Differences in Cancer Treatment Disruption Among Patients With COVID-19: An Analysis of the US ASCO COVID-19 in Oncology Registry.

Yu Chen Lin, Kea Turner, Oliver T Nguyen, Emma Hume, Marlene Camacho-Rivera, Jessica Y Islam

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yu Chen LinDepartment of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6808-6615
Kea TurnerDepartment of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7885-0879
Oliver T NguyenDepartment of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2852-7106
Emma HumeDepartment of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9344-8490
Marlene Camacho-RiveraDepartment of Community Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2343-2941
Jessica Y IslamDepartment of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3690-3848

Funding

Conquer Cancer Foundation 2021RG-6948019170
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCancer patients in rural areas experience greater barriers to treatment access compared with patients in urban areas. There is limited research on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected cancer treatment delivery for rural patients who were also diagnosed with COVID-19. This study has two objectives: to assess (1) the urban-rural differences in cancer care and (2) the predictors of cancer treatment delay or discontinuation (TDD) among patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

methodsWe used data from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Survey on COVID-19 in Oncology Registry (March 2020-September 2022), which included cancer patients with test-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (N = 3797). Data included patient sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 diagnosis information, cancer clinical characteristics, and changes to cancer treatment. Cancer TDD was defined as any scheduled treatment by more than 2 weeks. Rurality was examined through both patient residence and oncology practice. We computed adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) using multivariable Poisson regressions to assess predictors of cancer TDD in urban and rural areas.

resultsDuring the study period, 44.1% of patients with COVID-19 experienced either cancer treatment delay or discontinuation and 5.7% experienced cancer treatment discontinuation. Controlling for other factors, receiving care in a rural oncology practice was associated with cancer TDD (aPR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01-1.55). Differences in cancer TDD were not found across rurality of patient residence. Among rural patients (N = 582), Hispanic/Latinx cancer patients had greater prevalence of cancer TDD (aPR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.04-2.33) compared with non-Hispanic White cancer patients.

conclusionOur findings can be used to inform programs and policies to minimize the impact of future public health emergencies on cancer care delivery in rural areas. Additional research is needed to explore potential differences in cancer care delivery across urban and rural oncology practices and patients.

Indexed as

COVID-19Health Services AccessibilityNeoplasmsRural PopulationUrban PopulationAdultAgedFemaleHealthcare DisparitiesHumansMaleMedical OncologyMiddle AgedRegistriesSARS-CoV-2Time-to-Treatmentcancer care deliveryCOVID‐19 pandemichealth disparitieshealth equityrural health

Identifiers

PMID39844369
PMCPMC11754248

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.