Rural women with breast cancer are less likely than their urban counterparts to receive recommended radiation therapy after having a lumpectomy, a breast-sparing surgery that removes only tumors and surrounding tissue, a study by Mayo Clinic and others found. The difference is one of several rural disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment the researchers discovered. The findings are being presented at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting in Baltimore.

“These study results are concerning,” says Elizabeth Habermann, Ph.D., associate scientific director, Surgical Outcomes, Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery. “All women should receive guideline-recommended cancer care, regardless of where they live.” Read the full article here.