Researchers at Augusta (Ga.) University found that young adults with colorectal cancer frequently experience treatment delay and have less access to treatment.
The study found that colorectal cancer patients under 50 waited more than 90 days after diagnosis to begin treatment, according to an April 10 article published on the university’s news site. Long wait times were most common among young men, and Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and Black patients.
Delays in treatment most often occurred in urban areas, though patients in impoverished rural communities had worse outcomes and faced higher risks of death. “Access isn’t just about distance,” Meng‑Han Tsai, PhD, an assistant professor at the Georgia Prevention Institute at Augusta University, said in the article. “Insurance coverage, referrals, care coordination and system‑level barriers can significantly slow treatment, even in cities with major medical centers.”
Younger patients are also more likely to be diagnosed with more aggressive tumor subtypes, which are harder to treat. Racial and ethnic minority patients were more likely to be diagnosed between 20 and 29 years old and have late-stage disease compared to white patients.
When receiving treatment, young men were less likely to undergo surgery; Black and Hispanic patients in urban areas were less likely to start treatment at all; and American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander patients in rural areas were less likely to receive radiation therapy.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among U.S. adults under 50, and rates continue to rise in younger adults.
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