Abstract

Research from across the United States has shown that rurality is associated with worse melanoma outcomes. In Indiana, nearly a quarter of all residents live in rural counties and an estimated 2180 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in 2023. This study examines how geographical location affects the stage of melanoma diagnosis in Indiana, aiming to identify and address rural health disparities to ultimately ensure equitable care. Demographics and disease characteristics of patients diagnosed with melanoma at Indiana University Health from January 2017 to September 2022 were compared using Students t-tests, Wilcoxon tests, chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests. Patients from rural areas presented with more pathological stage T3 melanomas (15.0% vs. 3.5%, p < 0.001) in contrast to their urban counterparts. Additionally, rural patients presented with fewer clinical stage I melanomas (80.8% vs. 89.3%) and more clinical stage II melanomas (19.2% vs. 8.1%), compared to urban patients, with no stage III (p = 0.028). Concerningly, a significantly higher percentage of the rural group (40.7%) had a personal history of BCC compared to the urban group (22.6%) (p = 0.005) and fewer rural patients (78.0%) compared to urban patients (89.4%) received surgical treatment (p = 0.016). Patients from rural counties in Indiana have higher pathological and clinical stage melanoma at diagnosis compared to patients from urban counties. Additionally fewer rural patients receive surgical treatment and may be at higher risk of developing subsequent melanomas.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.