Cancer Care Unaffected by Doctor Reimbursement Changes

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"We did find that patients in rural areas tended to have to wait longer to begin their chemotherapy after diagnosis -- their wait times increased by up to five days from 2003 to 2006," Curtis said. "Whether this is something that could have a negative effect on treatment outcomes is still unknown, but it is something we should continue to follow."

The findings were published in the July 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The lower reimbursement may still have long-term effects that have yet to be realized, Curtis cautioned.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about cancer and cancer treatments.