Of procedures and geography

The frequency of elective medical procedures varies dramatically based on geographical area, new research finds.

The California HealthCare Foundation recently updated its interactive online tool titled “All Over the Map,” which maps the variation of treatments patients receive based on where they live, according to a CHCF press release.

For instance, when compared to the state average, men in Tracy are 479 percent more likely to undergo internal radiation for prostate cancer; women in Healdsburg are 248 percent more likely to receive a lumpectomy without radiation for breast cancer; and women in Laguna Hills and San Clemente are 273 percent and 277 percent, respectively, more likely to undergo breast-reconstruction surgery following mastectomy.

Go to www.chcf.org/publications/2013/05/medical-variation-map to view the map.