Patient views of transport for cancer treatment

There is a dearth of research on patients’ experiences of transport and travelling for treatment but the little that has been conducted shows that some patients experience difficulties. A recent study by Macmillan Cancer Support (formerly Macmillan Cancer Relief) carried out in England, highlighted that the financial costs of hospital travel and parking are perceived as problems by patients with cancer when travelling for their treatment (Allirajah et al., 2005). Two American studies have also highlighted the financial costs associated with transportation. Guidry et al. (1997) showed that availability and affordability of transport was perceived as a barrier to the uptake of treatments, whilst Bryan et al. (1991) identified that these barriers were particularly significant for socio-economically disadvantaged groups. Furthermore, a small scale study on patients’ experiences of radiotherapy in Canada identified that arranging transport in which to travel to the cancer centre occupied considerable time however, this was not explored in any detail (Hinds and Moyer, 1997).