For most cancer types, patients who live in rural areas have worse outcomes than those who live in urban areas. In a new study by Alissa Thomas, MD, and colleagues published in BMC Health Services Research the authors find that while this is the case for many cancers, patients diagnosed and treated for glioblastoma at the University of Vermont Medical Center had equal survival and treatment outcomes regardless of whether they were from urban or rural areas. This work suggests that under the right conditions, rural patients can do as well as their urban counterparts, even with rare, aggressive cancers like glioblastoma. 

When asked why the difference in outcomes might not differ for this specific population of patients, neuro-oncologist Alissa Thomas, MD, said “one reason is that glioblastoma tends to grow quickly and present with neurological symptoms.  Because of the symptoms, most patients with glioblastoma seek care right away, and often in an emergency setting, so there is not a lot of time lost waiting to get in to see someone, nor is there any missed opportunity for screening.  Another thing that is unique is that all patients with glioblastoma need to have a neurosurgical procedure (biopsy or surgery) to make the diagnosis. In Vermont, the only neurosurgeons who do this kind of procedure are at the University of Vermont Medical Center, so all patients with glioblastoma receive a least some of their care through the large academic cancer center”. 

To better understand if this trend is consistent in different geographic regions, the team is now working on a national study to determine if there are differences in survival among rural and urban glioblastoma patients across the United States. 

This work was pioneered by Gabriella Sarriera Valentin, MD, a recent graduate from the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. She was assisted by Erin D’Agostino, MD, a UVM Neurology Resident. Peter Callas, PhD, provided biostatistical support and analysis. The study was funded by a Student Grant through the Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society. 

To learn more, read the full publication here.