TABLE 1.
Sociodemographic, Oncologic, and Treatment Characteristics Stratified by Travel Distance for Treatment
| Characteristic | Short Distance N = 62,753 |
Intermediate Distance N = 40,644 |
Long Distance N = 14,603 |
P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | |
| Age, y | <.001 | |||
| <50 | 10,247 (16.3) | 7474 (18.4) | 2812 (19.3) | |
| 50-59 | 20,262 (32.3) | 13,543 (33.3) | 4837 (33.1) | |
| 60-69 | 17,225 (27.4) | 11,597 (28.5) | 4062 (27.8) | |
| ≥70 | 15,019 (23.9) | 8030 (19.8) | 2892 (19.8) | |
| Sex | .008 | |||
| Male | 47,090 (75.0) | 30,696 (75.5) | 10,843 (74.3) | |
| Female | 15,663 (25.0) | 9948 (24.5) | 3670 (25.7) | |
| Race | <.001 | |||
| White | 51,496 (82.1) | 36,766 (90.5) | 13,295 (91.0) | |
| Black | 8894 (14.2) | 2622 (6.5) | 841 (5.8) | |
| Other | 2363 (3.7) | 1256 (3.0) | 467 (3.2) | |
| Ethnicity | <.001 | |||
| Non-Hispanic | 55,710 (88.8) | 36,973 (91.0) | 13,406 (91.8) | |
| Hispanic | 3195 (5.1) | 954 (2.3) | 306 (2.1) | |
| Other/unknown | 2363 (3.7) | 1256 (3.0) | 467 (3.2) | |
| Charlson/Deyo Comorbidity Score | <.001 | |||
| 0 | 49,087 (78.2) | 32,087 (78.9) | 11,506 (78.8) | |
| 1 | 10,407 (16.6) | 6699 (16.5) | 2457 (16.8) | |
| ≥2 | 3259 (5.2) | 1858 (4.6) | 640 (4.4) | |
| Insurance | <.001 | |||
| Private | 26,154 (41.7) | 18,358 (45.2) | 6002 (41.1) | |
| Medicare | 23,775 (37.9) | 14,677 (36.1) | 5327 (36.5) | |
| Medicaid | 6801 (10.8) | 3511 (8.6) | 1491 (10.2) | |
| Uninsured | 3841 (6.1) | 2467 (6.1) | 997 (6.8) | |
| Other | 2182 (3.5) | 1631 (4.0) | 786 (5.4) | |
| Education, quartiles | <.001 | |||
| Highest | 14,671 (23.5) | 8193 (20.2) | 1835 (12.6) | |
| Second highest | 19,699 (31.4) | 13,258 (32.6) | 4781 (32.7) | |
| Second lowest | 16,767 (26.7) | 11,757 (28.9) | 4944 (33.9) | |
| Lowest | 11,502 (18.3) | 7401 (18.2) | 3024 (20.7) | |
| Unknown | 24 (0.0) | 25 (0.1) | 19 (0.1) | |
| Income, quartiles | <.001 | |||
| Highest | 18,638 (29.7) | 12,199 (30.0) | 1556 (10.7) | |
| Second highest | 16,228 (25.9) | 11,235 (27.6) | 3253 (22.3) | |
| Second lowest | 14,393 (22.9) | 10,195 (25.1) | 5383 (36.9) | |
| Lowest | 13,441 (21.4) | 6952 (17.1) | 4373 (29.9) | |
| Unknown | 53 (0.1) | 63 (0.2) | 38 (0.3) | |
| County type | <.001 | |||
| Metropolitan | 58,821 (93.7) | 28,752 (70.8) | 6334 (43.4) | |
| Urban | 2632 (4.2) | 9832 (24.2) | 6807 (46.6) | |
| Rural | 47 (0.1) | 1265 (3.1) | 1157 (7.9) | |
| Unknown | 1253 (2.0) | 794 (2.0) | 305 (2.1) | |
| Site | <.001 | |||
| Oral cavity | 14,072 (22.4) | 11,516 (28.3) | 5980 (41.0) | |
| Oropharynx | 23,563 (37.5) | 15,178 (37.3) | 4603 (31.5) | |
| Hypopharynx | 3374 (5.4) | 1744 (4.3) | 504 (3.5) | |
| Larynx | 21,744 (34.7) | 12,206 (30.0) | 3516 (24.1) | |
| AJCC clinical stage grouping | <.001 | |||
| I | 15,639 (24.9) | 10,229 (25.2) | 3289 (22.5) | |
| II | 9630 (15.3) | 6274 (15.4) | 2363 (16.2) | |
| III | 11,704 (18.7) | 7299 (18.0) | 2462 (16.9) | |
| IV | 25,780 (41.1) | 16,842 (41.4) | 6489 (44.4) | |
| Treatment modality | <.001 | |||
| Surgery | 12,147 (19.4) | 10,703 (26.3) | 6044 (41.4) | |
| Surgery plus adjuvant | 12,490 (19.9) | 8707 (21.4) | 3864 (26.5) | |
| Radiotherapy | 20,998 (33.5) | 10,575 (26.0) | 1781 (12.2) | |
| Chemoradiation | 17,118 (27.3) | 10,659 (26.2) | 2914 (20.0 | |
| Facility type | <.001 | |||
| Community | 6190 (9.9) | 3408 (8.4) | 325 (2.2) | |
| Comprehensive community | 25,535 (40.7) | 14,776 (36.4) | 2661 (18.2) | |
| Academic | 22,918 (36.5) | 17,869 (44.0) | 10,179 (69.7) | |
| Integrated network | 6793 (10.8) | 3547 (8.7) | 972 (6.7) | |
| Unknown | 1317 (2.1) | 1044 (2.6) | 466 (3.2) | |
| Facility annual volume, quartiles | <.001 | |||
| 1-9 | 18,505 (29.5) | 7920 (19.5) | 1022 (7.0) | |
| >9 to 17 | 17,808 (28.4) | 10,839 (26.7) | 1927 (13.2) | |
| >17 to 43 | 15,817 (25.2) | 10,164 (25.0) | 3069 (21.0) | |
| >43 | 10,623 (16.9) | 11,721 (28.8) | 8585 (58.8) | |
| Region of United States | <.001 | |||
| New England | 3915 (6.4) | 2118 (5.3) | 210 (1.5) | |
| Middle Atlantic | 9980 (16.2) | 5035 (12.7) | 1164 (8.2) | |
| South Atlantic | 13,883 (22.6) | 9826 (24.8) | 3097 (21.9) | |
| East North Central | 13,785 (22.4) | 7882 (19.9) | 2341 (16.6) | |
| East South Central | 3904 (6.4) | 4031 (10.2) | 1911 (13.5) | |
| West North Central | 3854 (6.3) | 3171 (8.0) | 2400 (17.0) | |
| West South Central | 3694 (6.0) | 2962 (7.5) | 1207 (8.5) | |
| Mountain | 2291 (3.7) | 1394 (3.5) | 780 (5.5) | |
| Pacific | 6130 (3.7) | 3181 (8.0) | 1027 (7.3) | |
| Year of diagnosis | <.001 | |||
| 2004-2005 | 10,120 (16.1) | 5902 (14.5) | 2065 (14.1) | |
| 2006-2007 | 10,838 (17.3) | 6603 (16.2) | 2367 (16.2) | |
| 2008-2009 | 13,032 (20.8) | 8183 (20.1) | 2943 (20.2) | |
| 2010-2011 | 13,809 (22.0) | 9311 (22.9) | 3380 (23.1) | |
| 2012-2013 | 14,953 (23.8) | 10,645 (26.2) | 3848 (26.4) |
Abbreviations: AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer.