Rural Cancer Care Delays — Timing Head and Neck Radiotherapy

Head and neck cancer treatment delays in rural cancer care access and postoperative radiotherapy timing Dartmouth Cancer Center study in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery reveals why rural patients miss the six week radiotherapy window Learn how to reduce radiation after cancer surgery delays and improve head and neck cancer survival in rural communities What You'll Learn: Why starting postoperative radiotherapy for head and neck cancer within a six week radiotherapy window improves 5-year survival by roughly 10–15% based on RTOG meta-analysis How often rural head and neck cancer patients miss the recommended timing benchmarks for radiation after cancer surgery compared with urban patients What the Dartmouth Cancer Center study in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery uncovered about real-world barriers to timely postoperative radiotherapy in rural areas How long travel distances—averaging 64 miles one-way for rural patients vs 14 miles for urban—directly affect head and neck cancer treatment delays Which system-level and patient-level factors (scheduling, referrals, transportation, housing, work, caregiving) most strongly predict missing the 6-week PORT window Practical strategies clinicians and cancer centers can use to coordinate surgery and radiation to minimize rural cancer care access barriers Policy and program ideas—from patient navigation to transportation support and telehealth—that can narrow rural health disparities in head and neck cancer outcomes About the Guest: About the Guest: In this episode, we speak with a lead investigator from Dartmouth Cancer Center whose research focuses on access to high-quality cancer care for patients living in rural communities. Their recent work, published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, examines how geography, health systems, and social factors shape the timing of postoperative radiotherapy for head and neck cancer and drive disparities in survival.