The role of income and rurality in US cancer mortality: A SEER analysis.

Abstract

e13828 Background: Disparities in cancer outcomes between rural and urban populations are often linked to limited healthcare resources in rural areas. However, the impact of socioeconomic factors, particularly income inequality, requires further investigation. Methods: We analyzed cancer mortality rates using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, focusing on rural-urban continuum codes and median county income, the proportions of patients with de novo metastatic disease at diagnosis, those aged 80 and older, and those experiencing a treatment delay of three months or more. Results: Our findings indicate that non-metropolitan counties (56.7%, 95% CI: 56.6%, 56.8%) and those with lower median incomes (54.9%, 95% CI: 54.8%, 55.1%) have significantly lower cancer survival rates than metropolitan counties (62.6%, 95% CI: 62.5%, 62.6%) and higher-income rural counties (62.6%, 95% CI: 62.6%, 62.7%), a trend consistent over the observation period. Higher proportions of de novo metastatic disease and increased treatment delays were observed in counties with lower income and greater rurality, with these counties also demonstrating higher annual percentage rates of change for both de novo metastatic disease (P < 0.05) and treatment delays (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Lower county-level median household income is associated with higher cancer mortality rates, increased de novo metastatic disease, and longer treatment delays. These results underscore the need to appreciate the role of income disparities in cancer outcomes and to improve access to oncology care in underserved rural populations.