If you live in rural or remote Australia and are diagnosed with cancer, you’re less likely to survive than someone in the city with the same disease. Our research shows people in rural Australia are 13% less likely to survive their cancer, in the first five years after diagnosis.

For the seven million Australians living outside major cities, this inequity is reflected in every stage of cancer care, from prevention through to end-of-life support.

Our five-paper series published today in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific explains why – and how to address these disparities.

We analysed survival data from 37 studies across multiple countries involving people diagnosed with cancer and found a consistent pattern: the more remote your location, the worse your chances.

This happens for several interconnected reasons. But access to health service in the early stages is instrumental in influencing survival. People in rural areas often find it harder to get screened for cancer, meaning tumours are caught later when they’re more difficult to treat.

When symptoms do appear (such as pain, changes in bowel habits, fatigue or unintentional weight loss) distance to doctors and long wait times can delay diagnosis.

Once diagnosed, many Australians in rural areas face a difficult choice: relocate to the city for treatment, make exhausting and expensive regular trips for appointments, or decline the recommended treatment if it requires travel or relocation.

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