PURPOSE: @entity1 with @entity5 must overcome many psychological, social, and economic barriers to obtain needed treatment. Because of the need for repeated visits for @entity5 treatment on either an outpatient or an inpatient basis, one of the major issues that @entity1 with @entity5 must confront is that of arranging for transportation to care. METHODS: This study compares the distance and mode of transportation to radiotherapy and chemotherapy and perceptions of transportation as a barrier to care among white, black, and @entity5 @entity1 receiving treatment from a consortium of @entity5 treatment facilities in Texas. A mail questionnaire was developed to assess the perceived barriers to @entity5 treatment for @entity1 who had been diagnosed clinically with breast, @entity263 , or lymphoma between 1989 and 1993. A total of 910 surveys were mailed to prospective @entity1 . Of the surveys mailed, 593 were returned, yielding a 65.2% response rate. By race, the respondents included whites (42%), blacks (40%), Hispanics (15%), and Asian-Pacific Islanders (3%). Two respondents were 17 years of age; the remaining respondents were 18 years or older. RESULTS: This study shows that some @entity1 may forgo needed treatment because of problems with transportation. This was perceived as an issue more for minority @entity1 than for white @entity1 . Black and Hispanic @entity1 consistently reported that barriers such as distance, access to an automobile, and availability of someone to drive them to the treatment center were potential major problems. The distance to the facilities was farther for whites than for blacks and Hispanics. @entity1 generally had to travel farther for chemotherapy than for radiotherapy. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: @entity1 , particularly minorities, may opt to forgo needed care in the absence of available and affordable means of transportation to treatment facilities. These findings demonstrate the need for healthcare providers to be aware of the transportation problems that @entity1 with @entity5 experience in obtaining treatment. Healthcare providers must work with @entity1 , their families, and volunteer agencies in the community to facilitate transportation to @entity5 treatment services.

Transportation as a barrier to XXXX treatment.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'Patients', 'patients'] @entity263 :: ('MESH:D011471', 'Disease') :: ['colon, cervical, or prostate cancer'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancer', 'Hispanic cancer']
@entity5 :: (MESH:D009369,Disease) :: ['cancer']
