Objectives:Rural patients have poor cancer outcomes and clinical trial(CT)enrollment compared to urban patients due to attitudinal,awareness,and healthcare access differential.Knowledge of cancer survival disparities and CT enrollment is important for designing interventions and innovative approaches to address the stated barriers.The study explores the potential disparities in cancer survival rates and clinical trial enrollments in rural and urban breast and lung cancer patients.Our hypotheses are that for both cancer types,urban cancer patients will have longer 5-year survival rates and higher enrollment rates in clinical trials than those in rural counties.Methods:We compared breast and lung cancer patients’survival rates and enrollment ratios in clinical trials between rural(RUCC 4-9)and urban counties in Georgia at a Comprehensive Cancer Center(CCC).To assess these differences,we carried out a series of independent samples t-tests and Chi-Square tests.Results:The outcomes indicate comparable 5-year survival rates across rural and urban counties for breast and lung cancer patients,failing to substantiate our hypothesis.While clinical trial enrollment rates demonstrated a significant difference between breast and lung cancer patients at CCC,no significant variation was observed based on rural or urban classification.Conclusion:These findings underscore the need for further research into the representation of rural patients with diverse cancer types at CCC and other cancer centers.Further,the findings have considerable implications for the initiation of positive social change to improve CT participation and reduce cancer survival disparities.
1) Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is defined as a degenerative joint disease that mainly affects the bone. This study aims to evaluate the effect of low-intensity continuous ultrasound (LICUS) treatment on the knee of osteoarthritis patients through home-based intervention using the LICUS medical device. 2) Methods: The clinical trials were designed in a single-arm, open-label, and intervention study. Thirty-five participants, including those who dropped out (12%), were screened and enrolled. The patients received LICUS (1.1 MHz, 1.5 W/cm2, collimated beams) on the knee by the instructions of the investigator at home (5 min/session, 3 times/day, for four-weeks). Outcome measures were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) as a primary endpoint and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) as a secondary endpoint to evaluate pain relief and functional recovery of the knee between pre-treatment (baseline) and post-treatment (four-weeks). 3) Results: Knee pain scores measured using the VAS and WOMAC indices were significantly reduced after a four-week treatment with LICUS compared to baseline. Knee stiffness and functional capacity were significantly reduced after the LICUS application. In addition, there were no reports of adverse effects during the study period. 4) Conclusion: Long-term and home-based application of LICUS can be recommended as an alternative option for the treatment of OA patients, as evidenced by the effect of pain relief and knee function recovery.
