Background: Travel distance to surgical cancer care is increasing. The relationship between increased travel distance and receipt of surgical cancer care in the United States is not well characterized.
Methods: A systematic review of studies examining travel distance and receipt of surgery for adult patients in the United States was performed. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed and EMBASE.
Results: Seven studies were included. Only one found lower likelihood of surgery with increasing travel distance. Three studies, all based on hospital-based data, found that increased travel distance was associated with a higher likelihood of receiving surgery. Two studies found no association and one study had mixed findings.
Conclusion: We were unable to identify a consistent relationship between travel distance and receipt of surgery. Our results highlight the need for additional research examining how increasing travel distance impacts receipt of surgical cancer care.
Keywords: Cancer; Surgery; Travel distance; Travel time.
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