COLLEGE STATION - For anyone facing cancer, effective treatment is usually the patient's foremost concern. But a host of non-treatment problems can present as much worry as the disease itself.
A study by a Texas A&M University researcher shows there are several "barriers" to patients - especially those in rural areas - that can severely hinder successful treatment and cure for cancer victims.
Dr. Jeff Guidry, assistant professor of health and kinesiology, found barriers to overcoming cancer could be as difficult as fighting the disease. Among these barriers are transportation to and from a cancer treatment center, lack of proper information about the disease, access to treatment for rural patients, lack of a support system of friends and relatives that can offer help, and hidden costs of fighting cancer.
"Some of the barriers involved in getting treatment for cancer patients can be enormous," Guidry says.
"One big problem can be transportation. Because cancer treatments can be physically draining, a patient is not able to drive a car. Patients must rely on someone else for transportation to and from a treatment center, and this means a support system of friends and relatives is needed. For persons living in rural areas, this can be a big problem."
Guidry says the federal government defines rural as any city with less than 50,000 residents. "According to that definition, 80 percent of Texas is considered rural," he says.
About 63 percent of all cancer patients rely on someone else to drive them to treatment centers. His study shows that 62 percent of Hispanics, 55 percent of African Americans and 37 percent of Whites said that finding someone to drive them for cancer treatment was a barrier that could cause patients to forgo needed treatment.
Distance for treatment can be a significant barrier to needed treatment, Guidry says. His study shows that distance was a perceived barrier for 66 percent of Hispanics and 51 percent of African Americans, while 37 percent of Whites considered it a barrier.
Information sources are also considered a barrier to treatment, Guidry says.
Different races tend to favor certain forms of information about their cancer treatment, and education levels also play a factor. Guidry's research shows that African Americans rely more on television (65 percent) and pamphlets (88 percent) for information far more than Whites, who tend to favor books (56 percent) and other sources.
"Effective ways to communicate with cancer patients differ according to cultural background. This information is crucial regarding treatment decisions," he believes.
"The paper shows that the expense involved in treating cancer is not the only problem a patient must consider," Guidry explains.
"Costs are a priority, but the expense of travel, housing during treatments, insurance co-payments, prescriptions and other costs can be hidden. The study shows that different races can have different barriers to treatment and even the information needed for treatment.
"When health care providers are devising effective programs to treat cancer patients, they first need to be aware of these barriers - including cultural factors -- that could affect treatment," Guidry added.
Guidry's study was funded by the Texas Cancer Council.
Contact: Keith Randall at (979) 845-4644 or Jeff Guidry at (979) 845-8744.
Journal
Journal of Cancer Education