Radiotherapy in the Barwon South Western Region: A rural perspective

Cancer‐related mortality rates are higher in rural areas compared with urban regions. Whether there are corresponding geographical variations in radiotherapy utilisation rates ( RUR s) is the subject of this study. Methods RUR s for the regional centre of G eelong and rural areas of the B arwon S outh W estern R egion were calculated using a population‐based database (2009). Results Lower RUR s were observed for rural patients compared with the G eelong region for prostate cancer (15.7% vs 25.8%, P  = 0.02), rectal cancer (32.8% vs 44.7%, P  = 0.11), lymphoma (9.4% vs 26.2%, P  = 0.05), and all cancers overall (25.6% vs 28.9%, P  = 0.06). This lower rate was significant in men (rural, 19.9%; G eelong, 28.3%; P  = 0.00) but not in women (rural, 33.6%; G eelong, 29.7%; P  = 0.88). Time from diagnosis to radiotherapy was not significantly different for patients from the two regions. Tumour staging within the rural and G eelong regions was not significantly different for the major tumour streams of rectal, prostate and lung cancer ( P  = 0.61, P  = 0.79, P  = 0.43, respectively). A higher proportion of tumours were unstaged or unstageable in the rural region for lung (44% vs 18%, P  < 0.01) and prostate (73% vs 57%, P  < 0.01) cancer. Conclusion Lower RUR s were observed in our rural region. Differences found within tumour streams and in men suggest a complexity of relationships that will require further study.