Is long travel distance a barrier to surgical cancer care in the United States? A systematic review

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.