Timely Referrals and Specialized Centers Improve Outcomes for Rare Cancers
- Abdominal Cancers Alliance
- Nov 3
- 1 min read
A recent study by Mercy Medical Center reveals that despite longer delays to treatment and more advanced disease at presentation, out-of-state patients with rare appendix cancers achieve comparable long-term outcomes to local patients when treated at a high-volume specialized center.
Key findings from the research, published July 2025 in The American Surgeon, include:
Patients traveling from out of state waited an average of 4.6 months from diagnosis to surgery, compared to 2.8 months for local patients.
The out-of-state group presented with higher tumor burden (higher peritoneal cancer index) yet experienced similar rates of successful tumor removal, complication rates and up to 10-year survival compared to local patients.
The treatment involved a combined approach of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a specialized procedure for advanced abdominal cancers.
The study’s lead physicians, Vadim Gushchin and Armando Sardi, highlight the critical importance of timely referral to experienced CRS/HIPEC centers and improved patient navigation — especially for those who must travel or come from underserved regions. They emphasize that geography should not remain a barrier to life-saving specialized care.
For the Alliance, this study reinforces our mission: ensuring patients with rare and advanced abdominal cancers gain access to the right care at the right time. We will continue to support education, resource-sharing and referral pathways so that travel delays and lack of local access do not compromise outcomes.
