Findings from Temple University Broaden Understanding of Colon Cancer (Mixed effects of area-level deprivation and healthcare access and individual-level health insurance on late-stage colorectal cancer diagnosis in Pennsylvania): Oncology – Colon Cancer

2026 APR 10 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx Policy and Law Daily -- A new study on Oncology - Colon Cancer is now available. According to news originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Despite screenings successful reduction of colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence, about one-third of diagnoses in the United States are late-stage, negatively impacting survival rates. Furthermore, Pennsylvania CRC incidence and mortality has been consistently above national rates even with screening coverage from the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Temple University, “Investigate the role of area-level deprivation, healthcare access, and individual factors, including health insurance status, on late-stage CRC. Screening age-eligible adults diagnosed with a primary CRC (2008-2017) were identified from Pennsylvania Cancer Registry data (N = 34,250). Late-stage CRC combines ‘Distant’ and ‘Regional’ stage diagnoses defined by the National Cancer Institute’s Summary Staging. Area-level healthcare access was estimated using a Multi-modal Two-Step Floating Catchment Area, and neighborhood deprivation via Weighted Quantile Sum regression. The risk of late-stage CRC in association with insurance coverage (private, government, none), was modeled using spatial two-level generalized linear mixed models, adjusted for individual age, sex, race/ethnicity, rurality, and area-level deprivation and healthcare access. Compared to having private health insurance, individuals with government insurance were more likely to be diagnosed with late stage during the 2010-2013 and 2014-2017 time periods (OR range=1.12-1.19). Having no health insurance (OR range=2.10-2.69 vs. private health insurance) was significantly associated with increased likelihood of late-stage diagnosis at all three time periods (2008-2009, 2010-2013, 2014-2017). Late-stage CRC was significantly less likely among older individuals (OR range=0.98-0.99), Black (OR range=0.80-0.85) and other race (OR=0.57) vs. white race, and suburban (OR=0.78) vs. urban residence and varying by time period. Area-level deprivation and healthcare access was not significantly associated with late-stage CRC diagnosis. Health insurance type appears to be a major factor associated with late-stage CRC diagnosis in Pennsylvania, independent of age, sex, race/ethnicity, rurality, area-level deprivation, and healthcare access.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Given CRC is covered for preventive screening by the Affordable Care Act and Pennsylvania’s Medicaid expansion, these results suggest improving health insurance coverage awareness and utilization may reduce incidence and mortality from late-stage CRC.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Mixed effects of area-level deprivation and healthcare access and individual-level health insurance on late-stage colorectal cancer diagnosis in Pennsylvania. Cancer Epidemiology, 2026;102:103056. Cancer Epidemiology can be contacted at: Elsevier Sci Ltd, 125 London Wall, London, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Cancer Epidemiology - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/cancer-epidemiology/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Ryan Snead, Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Barnett College of Public Health, Temple University, 1210 W. Berks Street, Paley Hall, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States. Additional authors for this research include Kevin A. Henry, Robin Taylor Wilson and Resa M. Jones.

The publisher’s contact information for the journal Cancer Epidemiology is: Elsevier Sci Ltd, 125 London Wall, London, England.

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