Rob Dillard

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There exists significant health disparities with respect to people living in rural communities with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, according to a study presented at ACG 2024.
&#8220;(GI) cancers pose a significant public health challenge due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. Rural residents often face worse prognoses and limited access to healthcare. This study aims to uncover the disparities affecting rural populations in the United States (US) to inform policymaking and guide resource allocation, reduce health inequities, and enhance the overall quality of care for patients nationwide,&#8221; the researchers noted.
In this retrospective analysis study, researchers analyzed 617,635 deaths from 1999 to 2020 using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database. Data were obtained using ICD-10 codes to identify deaths due to metastatic GI cancers among the rural population in the US aged ≥35 years. Mortality rates assessed based on age, gender, race, geographic region, and place of death. The researchers noted that the findings were reported as age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Trends over time were identified using join point regression and reported as the average annual percentage change (AAPC).
The findings showed that Males had a higher AAMR than females (120.2 vs. 70.9), and non-Hispanics had a higher AAMR than Hispanics (93.5 vs. 84.0) Also, the Black population had the highest AAMR (124.0), while Asians had the lowest (79.2). The findings showed that the South region was the most affected, with an AAMR of 96.8. State variations showed the highest AAMRs in Louisiana and Alaska (107.4 and 107.3) and the lowest in Colorado and Utah (74.2 and 68.2). The researchers observed that Union County, Florida, had the highest AAMR of 250.5, whereas Pitkin County, Colorado, had the lowest at 33.1. 
&#8220;Despite the significant overall decline in metastatic GI cancer-related mortality, significant disparities persist. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address these inequalities in susceptible demographics,&#8221; the researchers concluded.
Reference
Hayat U, Shah M, Kamal M, et al. Disparities in Mortality Trends Among Rural Residents With Metastatic Gastrointestinal Cancers in the United States: A CDC WONDER Database Analysis. Abstract #P3819. Presented at the American College of Gastroenterology 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting &#038; Postgraduate Course; October 25-30, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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There exists significant health disparities with respect to people living in rural communities with GI cancers.

Rural Residents With Metastatic Gastrointestinal Cancers Have Worse Outcomes 

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