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One in five pediatric cancer patients in a large national cohort lived more than 90 minutes away from their treatment center, and patients with the highest social vulnerability were least likely to access out-of-state medical care, according to research presented at the 19th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, held Oct. 18–21, 2026.

The distance between a patient's home and a well-equipped health care facility may prevent patients from receiving quality care. "Pediatric cancer requires highly specialized care and can create a profound financial burden for affected families. Access to care has implications for timely diagnosis, financial and time toxicity, and, ultimately, outcomes for pediatric patients," said Erin Marcotte, MPH, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and presenter of the study.

Compared with adult cancer care, dedicated pediatric cancer hospitals are less common, which can result in lengthy travel times for treatment. For some patients, the nearest center is in a neighboring state, creating additional burdens for patients and their families.

"Prior research has shown that parents often experience lost wages, child care expenses for siblings and expenses related to travel and accommodation—expenses that are not incurred by many adult cancer patients. Furthermore, for adult patients who do not need advanced therapy, oncology care is typically available at local community hospitals, but this is not usually an option for children with cancer," explained Marcotte.

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