Rural patients prioritize access to specialized surgical care within hub-and-spoke cancer networks.

• 53% of patients prefer a specialist surgeon and are willing to travel for a high-volume team.
• 39% prefer in-person visits, while 8% want to limit travel for their care.

Surgeons should tailor services to align with these patient preferences for better outcomes.

• Four distinct patient preference types emerged, emphasizing specialization and direct expert reviews.