Mp68-08 Physician Density and Prostate Cancer Mortality in the Us From 2011-2020

You have accessJournal of UrologyProstate Cancer: Epidemiology & Natural History II (MP68)1 May 2024MP68-08 PHYSICIAN DENSITY AND PROSTATE CANCER MORTALITY IN THE US FROM 2011-2020 Simon John Christoph Soerensen, Maria E. Montez-Rath, Benjamin I. Chung, David H. Rehkopf, and John T. Leppert Simon John Christoph SoerensenSimon John Christoph Soerensen , Maria E. Montez-RathMaria E. Montez-Rath , Benjamin I. ChungBenjamin I. Chung , David H. RehkopfDavid H. Rehkopf , and John T. LeppertJohn T. Leppert View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/01.JU.0001008744.60568.e8.08AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States, accounting for more than 34,000 deaths in 2023. Prior research suggests that prostate cancer mortality is highest in areas underserved by Urologists. We investigated contemporary associations between the density of urologists, radiation oncologists, and primary care physicians and prostate cancer mortality to inform strategic healthcare resource allocation. METHODS: We fit linear regression models to explore the relationships between physician density and age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality rates in counties within the contiguous U.S. in 2011-2015 and 2016-2020. We studied physician density across urology, radiation oncology, primary care and 4 specialties not thought to be related to prostate cancer care (psychiatry, vascular surgery, transplant surgery, and neurology). We adjusted for socioeconomic status, access to inpatient health care, race/ethnicity, rurality, and physician density from other specialties. To estimate the impact on mortality rates, we used the regression coefficients to predict changes in mortality based on different scenarios of increased physician density. These predictions were then applied to populations in counties with lower physician, yielding estimates of potential deaths averted per 100,000 persons. RESULTS: In both 2011-2015 and 2016-2020 cohorts, only urologist density was associated with prostate cancer mortality. In 2016-2020, we observed a reduction of 1.5 prostate cancer specific deaths per million men with each additional urologist per 100,000 persons. In 2016-2020, among 3,142 U.S. counties included in the analysis, 66% had less than 1 urologist per 100,000 persons. Increasing the number of urologists in counties with fewer than 1 per 100,000 urologists to meet this threshold would require 1,999 additional urologists. This increase could prevent an estimated 389 (95% CI: 110 to 403) prostate cancer deaths in 5 years. It would require the addition of 7,399 urologists to bring every county (n=2,635 currently below, 84%) up to the average urologist density (3.3 urologists per 100,000), and this would avoid an estimated 3,750 (95% CI: 440 to 4407) prostate cancer deaths in 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing access to urologists is estimated to reduce prostate cancer mortality. Source of Funding: None © 2024 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 211Issue 5SMay 2024Page: e1110 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2024 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.Metrics Author Information Simon John Christoph Soerensen More articles by this author Maria E. Montez-Rath More articles by this author Benjamin I. Chung More articles by this author David H. Rehkopf More articles by this author John T. Leppert More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...