Survival disparities in rural versus urban patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor: A multi-institutional study from the US neuroendocrine tumor study group

Background Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs) are indolent malignancies that often have a prolonged clinical course. This study assesses disparities in outcomes between PNET patients who live in urban (UA) and rural areas (RA). Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed using the US Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group database. PNET patients with a home zip code recorded were included and categorized as RA or UA according to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and logistical regression. Results Of the 1176 PNET patients in the database, 1126 (96%) had zip code recorded. While 837 (74%) lived in UA, 289 (26%) lived in RA. RA patients had significantly shorter median OS following primary PNET resection (122 vs 149 months, p = 0.01). After controlling for income, local healthcare access, distance from treatment center, ASA class, BMI, and T/N/M stage, living in a RA remained significantly associated with worse OS (HR 1.60, 95%CI 1.08–2.39, p = 0.02). Conclusion Rural patients have significantly shorter OS following PNET resection compared to their urban counterparts.