Abstract
BACKGROUND: Outcomes of lung cancer patients traveling greater distances for surgical oncology care are not well-described. We investigated the effects of increased travel burden after robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy (RAPL) for lung cancer. METHODS: Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of 711 consecutive patients who underwent RAPL from September 2010 to March 2022 were compared, stratified by primary residential ZIP code <160 km or ≥160 km from the cancer center. RESULTS: Of 711 study patients, 515 (72.4%) lived within 160 km and 196 (27.6%) lived ≥160 km away. There were no differences in Charlson Comorbidity Index scores or tumor characteristics. Those traveling ≥160 km experienced more unfavorable perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications, and had worse median survival time by 1.68 years, but this survival difference did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: With the growing centralization of cancer care, travel burden may emerge as a predictor of surgical oncology outcomes.