Impact of Endocrinologist and Surgeon Density on Well-Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Survival

Abstract

Background The influence of provider density and access on well-differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) survival is uncertain. Methods We used the SEER18 database to study DTC patients undergoing surgery from 2000-2012. County-level endocrinologist and surgeon density were calculated. We evaluated the relationship between provider density and cause-specific survival controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and treatment characteristics. Results Median endocrinologist density was 1.4/100 000 residents, with 15.5% of patients living in a county with no endocrinologist. Survival increased by 11% for each endocrinologist/100,000 people (P = .007). Median surgeon density was 14.8/100 000 residents, with only 1.7% of patients living in a county with no general surgeon or otolaryngologist. No significant association between surgeon density and survival was identified (P = .06). Rural residence was independently associated with lower survival (P = .009). Conclusions County-level endocrinologist density is associated with improved DTC survival. Results may reflect endocrinologist expertise, earlier diagnosis, or represent surrogacy for higher county-level access to specialized care.