People living in regional and rural communities have poorer cancer outcomes
Approximately 30% of the population of Australia live over 180km from tertiary healthcare facilities. Evidence shows the further from a metropolitan centre a cancer patient lives, the more likely they are to die within five years of diagnosis. Contributing factors to lower survival rates for people with cancer in regional and rural areas include:
Approximately 30% of the population of Australia live over 180km from tertiary healthcare facilities. Evidence shows the further from a metropolitan centre a cancer patient lives, the more likely they are to die within five years of diagnosis. Contributing factors to lower survival rates for people with cancer in regional and rural areas include:
- Accessibility and distance from services
- Cancer specialists’ challenges including higher workloads and professional isolation
- Limited availability of specialists and allied health providers
- Limited availability of support services (including accommodation, transport, emotional support and provision of practical and financial assistance)
- Limited access to support services
- Less availability of diagnostic and treatment services including reduced availability of radiotherapy services and sub-optimal chemotherapy administration
- Delayed presentation – poor community education and awareness, accessibility of information
- Later diagnosis which means reduced or no treatment options
Health inequalities in rural and remote areas
On average, Australians living in rural and remote areas have shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury and poorer access to and use of health services, compared with people living in metropolitan areas. Health inequalities in rural and remote areas may be due to factors, including:
On average, Australians living in rural and remote areas have shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury and poorer access to and use of health services, compared with people living in metropolitan areas. Health inequalities in rural and remote areas may be due to factors, including:
- challenges in accessing health care or health professionals, such as specialists
- social determinants such as income, education, and employment opportunities
- higher rates of risky behaviours such as tobacco smoking and alcohol use
- higher rates of occupational and physical risk, for example from farming or mining work and transport-related accidents.
Education and Awareness
Particularly within rural and remote areas, there is a strong need to build people's’ understanding of how to manage their health, along with when and how to use available health services. Many patients in rural areas are so used to being underserviced that it has almost become a way of life for them. They accept inequities in access to specialised treatments or services and are more likely to deprioritise their own health, when faced with perceived greater challenges that life in regional areas may bring.
As such, capacity building amongst individuals and communities is of paramount importance, in the provision of educational resources to expand knowledge of cancers and thus empower those affected to seek better health outcomes.
Increased education and awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer amongst the rural health workforce is also vital to improving health outcomes for those affected. Early diagnosis directly correlates to improved survival rates, allowing for better treatment pathways, co-ordination of care and referral to cancer services and programs.
Particularly within rural and remote areas, there is a strong need to build people's’ understanding of how to manage their health, along with when and how to use available health services. Many patients in rural areas are so used to being underserviced that it has almost become a way of life for them. They accept inequities in access to specialised treatments or services and are more likely to deprioritise their own health, when faced with perceived greater challenges that life in regional areas may bring.
As such, capacity building amongst individuals and communities is of paramount importance, in the provision of educational resources to expand knowledge of cancers and thus empower those affected to seek better health outcomes.
Increased education and awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer amongst the rural health workforce is also vital to improving health outcomes for those affected. Early diagnosis directly correlates to improved survival rates, allowing for better treatment pathways, co-ordination of care and referral to cancer services and programs.
First Nation Cancer
- Cancer is the second leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with significantly lower survival rates than for other Australians, despite similar overall cancer incidence.
- 43% of First Nation people with cancer are more likely to die from the disease, than other Australians. This highlights the enormous gap in services, information and support available for Aboriginal people within our cancer care system.
- Research highlights the significant levels of social exclusion that many Aboriginal people experience when navigating the health care system. Barriers such as social and economic disadvantage, fear and mistrust of the health care system and a general lack of knowledge and understanding of cancer and its treatment significantly restricted access to care.
- Significant cultural differences have also been identified. Aboriginal people were more likely to forgo cancer treatment if they had to leave their family or Country to receive treatment, or if travel and treatment costs were too great. The fact that very few cancer public information campaigns contained Aboriginal faces, meant Aboriginal people were less likely to see them as relevant to their own health.
- cancer.org.au/about-us/how-we-help/research/stories/bridging-the-cancer-gap-for-aboriginal-australians
- canceraustralia.gov.au/key-initiatives/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health
Our Mob & Cancer (www.ourmobandcancer.gov.au)
