title: Experiences of regional and rural people with cancer being treated with radiotherapy in a metropolitan centre.
abstract: This paper explores the issues related to rural people with cancer whose choice of radiotherapy treatment necessitated travel and accommodation in a metropolitan centre. Semi-structured interviews with 46 participants, from the Toowoomba and Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, were conducted and the data thematically analysed. The specific themes identified were: being away from loved ones, maintaining responsibilities whilst undergoing treatment, emotional stress, burden on significant others, choice about radiotherapy as a treatment, travel and accommodation, and financial burden. This study supports the need for a radiotherapy centre in the location of Toowoomba as a way of providing some equity and access to such treatment for the rural people of Queensland.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Rural and Remote Area Health, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. kmartinm@usq.edu.au
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martin-McDonald
authors.forename: Cath
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rogers-Clark
authors.forename: Desley
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hegney
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011793:Queensland; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000592:standards*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel