{"id":{"repo_id":"lsu-thes","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.lsu.edu:gradschool_dissertations-2362"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/lsu-thes/oai:repository.lsu.edu:gradschool_dissertations-2362","repository":{"repo_id":"lsu-thes","name":"Lousiana State University","base_url":"https://repository.lsu.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Planning Towards Equal Spatial Accessibility of NCI Cancer Centers Across Geographic Areas and Demographic Groups in the U.S.","abstract":"The Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) form the “backbone” of the cancer care system in the United States. Awarded via a peer-review process and being re-evaluated every 3 to 5 years, an NCI Cancer Center receives substantial financial support from NCI grants. When the quality standard is not compromised, we argue that an additional criterion for improving and promoting equal accessibility should be factored into the designation and planning process of NCI Cancer Centers. With the help of regression and dummy variables, this research evaluates geographic disparities in spatial accessibility of the NCI Cancer Centers across geographic area, divisions and urbanicity. It also evaluates demographic disparities across ethnic and poverty groups. Then this research examines two planning objectives to minimize the inequalities in accessibility. One is to minimize the geographic inequality while the other is to minimize the racial disparities. Two types of optimization scenarios are considered in this exploratory research for the objective of minimizing inequality of spatial accessibility. One is to allocate additional resources to existing NCI Cancer Centers, and the other is to designate new centers from the most likely candidates (e.g., existing academic medical centers or AMCs). Quadratic Programming (QP) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are used to solve different optimization problems. Several scenarios are used to illustrate the impact of optimization on reducing geographic and demographic disparities. Results from the study may inform the public policy decision making process in planning of the NCI Cancer Centers towards equal accessibility.","abstract_html":"The Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) form the “backbone” of the cancer care system in the United States. Awarded via a peer-review process and being re-evaluated every 3 to 5 years, an NCI Cancer Center receives substantial financial support from NCI grants. When the quality standard is not compromised, we argue that an additional criterion for improving and promoting equal accessibility should be factored into the designation and planning process of NCI Cancer Centers. With the help of regression and dummy variables, this research evaluates geographic disparities in spatial accessibility of the NCI Cancer Centers across geographic area, divisions and urbanicity. It also evaluates demographic disparities across ethnic and poverty groups. Then this research examines two planning objectives to minimize the inequalities in accessibility. One is to minimize the geographic inequality while the other is to minimize the racial disparities. Two types of optimization scenarios are considered in this exploratory research for the objective of minimizing inequality of spatial accessibility. One is to allocate additional resources to existing NCI Cancer Centers, and the other is to designate new centers from the most likely candidates (e.g., existing academic medical centers or AMCs). Quadratic Programming (QP) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are used to solve different optimization problems. Several scenarios are used to illustrate the impact of optimization on reducing geographic and demographic disparities. Results from the study may inform the public policy decision making process in planning of the NCI Cancer Centers towards equal accessibility.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fu, Cong"],"institution":"Geography and Anthropology","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Social and Behavioral Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:59:22Z","subjects":["NCI Cancer Center","geographic disparities","demographic disparities","optimization","equal accessibility","Quadratic Programming","Particle Swarm Optimization."],"languages":[],"rights":["withheld","Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["etd-07032015-223738","https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1363"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-07032015-223738","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1363","href":"https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1363","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1363","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fu, Cong"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2015-06-12"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-03-08T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Social and Behavioral Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Geography and Anthropology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["NCI Cancer Center","geographic disparities","demographic disparities","optimization","equal accessibility","Quadratic Programming","Particle Swarm Optimization."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["withheld","Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["etd-07032015-223738","10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1363","https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1363"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) form the “backbone” of the cancer care system in the United States. Awarded via a peer-review process and being re-evaluated every 3 to 5 years, an NCI Cancer Center receives substantial financial support from NCI grants. When the quality standard is not compromised, we argue that an additional criterion for improving and promoting equal accessibility should be factored into the designation and planning process of NCI Cancer Centers. With the help of regression and dummy variables, this research evaluates geographic disparities in spatial accessibility of the NCI Cancer Centers across geographic area, divisions and urbanicity. It also evaluates demographic disparities across ethnic and poverty groups. Then this research examines two planning objectives to minimize the inequalities in accessibility. One is to minimize the geographic inequality while the other is to minimize the racial disparities. Two types of optimization scenarios are considered in this exploratory research for the objective of minimizing inequality of spatial accessibility. One is to allocate additional resources to existing NCI Cancer Centers, and the other is to designate new centers from the most likely candidates (e.g., existing academic medical centers or AMCs). Quadratic Programming (QP) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are used to solve different optimization problems. Several scenarios are used to illustrate the impact of optimization on reducing geographic and demographic disparities. Results from the study may inform the public policy decision making process in planning of the NCI Cancer Centers towards equal accessibility."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Planning Towards Equal Spatial Accessibility of NCI Cancer Centers Across Geographic Areas and Demographic Groups in the U.S."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Fu, Cong"],"dc:date":["2015-06-12"],"dc:date.available":["2017-03-08T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) form the “backbone” of the cancer care system in the United States. Awarded via a peer-review process and being re-evaluated every 3 to 5 years, an NCI Cancer Center receives substantial financial support from NCI grants. When the quality standard is not compromised, we argue that an additional criterion for improving and promoting equal accessibility should be factored into the designation and planning process of NCI Cancer Centers. With the help of regression and dummy variables, this research evaluates geographic disparities in spatial accessibility of the NCI Cancer Centers across geographic area, divisions and urbanicity. It also evaluates demographic disparities across ethnic and poverty groups. Then this research examines two planning objectives to minimize the inequalities in accessibility. One is to minimize the geographic inequality while the other is to minimize the racial disparities. Two types of optimization scenarios are considered in this exploratory research for the objective of minimizing inequality of spatial accessibility. One is to allocate additional resources to existing NCI Cancer Centers, and the other is to designate new centers from the most likely candidates (e.g., existing academic medical centers or AMCs). Quadratic Programming (QP) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are used to solve different optimization problems. 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At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide."],"dc:subject":["NCI Cancer Center","geographic disparities","demographic disparities","optimization","equal accessibility","Quadratic Programming","Particle Swarm Optimization."],"dc:title":["Planning Towards Equal Spatial Accessibility of NCI Cancer Centers Across Geographic Areas and Demographic Groups in the U.S."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Geography and Anthropology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:59:22Z"}