title: An epidemiological study evaluating the relationship of distance from a tertiary care cancer center to early detection of colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  AJCC stage at diagnosis determines the treatment approach and indirectly predicts outcome in patients with colorectal carcinoma. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether there was a delay in diagnosis leading to a more advanced stage at diagnosis (which affects outcome) of patients with colorectal cancers because of distance from a referral center, after positive fecal occult blood testing (FOBT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Our retrospective observational study involved all cases of colonic and rectosigmoid cancers that were referred for an endoscopic procedure after an initial positive FOBT done as a part of routine screening in asymptomatic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Roger Maris Cancer Center and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between the years 1996-2001, 178 subjects with biopsy-proven colon cancer and 80 patients with rectosigmoid cancer were included in our study. Pearson's correlation coefficients were constructed to look at the relationship between distance from a referral center (place where the diagnosis was made) and stage at diagnosis in patients with colonic and rectosigmoid malignancies. For the colon cancer group, the regression coefficient between AJCC stage at diagnosis and distance from the referral center was 0.013 and for rectosigmoid cancers it was 0.12. Even after stratifying distances into tertiles, the correlation coefficients did not show a significant relationship (0.04 for colon and 0.16 for rectosigmoid cancers).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distance (of residence) from a tertiary care center does not seem to be a barrier to early diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma and primary care providers in rural settings are referring patients appropriately leading to optimal outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo 58102, USA.
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Koka
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Potti
authors.forename: Genise N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Fraiman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hanekom
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hanley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005843:Geography; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009658:North Dakota / Q000453:epidemiology; D009780:Occult Blood; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology