Cancer mortality rates higher in rural areas

Living in a rural area means a patient is 5 per cent more likely to die of cancer than a city dweller, according to a recent study by Aberdeen University, which was quoted in the Daily Mail.

The researchers carried out 39 studies around the world to compare cancer survival rates in rural and urban areas.

They surmised that the survival gap may be due to a delay in seeking help amongst rural residents due to either work or family commitments and rural transport availability.

The type of cancer people contract also varies dependent on where they live, with lung cancer rates higher in urban areas and breast and prostate cancers more likely in rural areas.

Full articles:

→ Daily Mail - Living in the countryside gives you a 'survival disadvantage': Rural dwellers are less likely to overcome cancer due to them being isolated from treatment centres

→ Western Telegraph - Cancer patients in rural areas at ‘clear survival disadvantage’