Who would have thought that living in rural areas could lead to women getting diagnosed with late-stage cancer?

Faustine Williams, a doctoral student in the Department of Rural Sociology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, said that women living in those areas are more likely than women living in cities to be diagnosed with a more serious form of breast cancer.

Identifying breast cancer earlier increases survival rates. However, according to Williams’ study, women in rural areas are less likely to seek preventative treatment and testing due to the cost, distance, and time necessary.

Women who travel 50 to 75 miles to a healthcare facility are found to be 10% more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer

Though many states offer free breast cancer screening programs, there is still room for improvement to serve women in rural areas.

Williams cited Missouri where she recommends changes be made to the state’s Show Me Healthy Women program, a free breast and cervical cancer screening program. Though it is free, women must meet a certain age, income, and insurance guidelines to avail of the service.

In addition, the 180 facilities throughout the states are unevenly distributed. Because of this, several rural counties do not have even a single facility.

Records show that in Missouri, out of the 55,182 female breast cancer cases between 1996 and 2007, 31% or 17,093 were only diagnosed in the late-stage of cancer.

Using mapping software to pinpoint the locations of patients diagnosed with each stage of breast cancer and the nearest screening facility, Williams calculated the distances from patients with each cancer stage to the nearest screening facilities.

Based on these findings, Williams suggested strategically placing health screening facilities in poor and rural areas, where women would have better access to health care. By doing so, there would be an increase in the likelihood that rural women seek check-ups and diagnosis.

Just this July, the American Cancer Society suggested things to remember to decrease the risk of breast cancer. Some of their tips included exercising regularly, sleeping well, learning how to handle stress, and to minimize, if not, avoid alcohol.