Introduction:
Oesophageal and gastric cancers represent the 1.1% and 1.6% of new cancer cases respectively. Both oesophageal and gastric cancer have poor overall survival rates, with 5-year survival rates of 23% and 38%. Suboptimal treatment for patients in regional areas has been described for various malignancies. Australians in regional areas are more likely to die from cancer than their metropolitan counterparts. This study examines treatment of patients with with oesophageal and gastric cancer in the south western region of Victoria, and how degree of rurality impacts treatment provision and outcomes.
Methods:
Data was collected prospectively as part of the Evaluation of Cancer Outcomes Barwon South West (ECOBSW) registry. Patients diagnosed with oesophageal or gastric cancers from 2009 to 2016 were included in this study (ICD10 codes c15.0 to 16.9).
Results:
A total of 545 tumours were captured over the study period. Patients living in small or medium rural towns were less likely to receive treatment than those in metropolitan, regional or large rural towns. Patients in large, medium and small rural towns were also less likely to receive surgical management for their oesophageal or gastric cancer. A significant different was not established in overall survival based on degree of rurality.
Conclusion:
Rurality has been demonstrated to impact the type of treatment that patients receive for oesophageal and gastric cancer in regional Victoria, which is likely to be demonstrated in more geographically isolated regions in Australia also. Further examination of the factors than influence this difference is required.