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Using ArcGIS/SaTScan to detect higher than expected breast cancer incidence. Jim Files, BS Appathurai Balamurugan, MD, MPH. Overview. Breast Cancer incidence Study objectives Methods Results Conclusions and recommendations. Study Objectives.
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Using ArcGIS/SaTScan to detect higher than expected breast cancer incidence Jim Files, BS Appathurai Balamurugan, MD, MPH
Overview • Breast Cancer incidence • Study objectives • Methods • Results • Conclusions and recommendations
Study Objectives • To identify geographic areas in AR with higher proportion of excess cases of breast cancer. • To plan treatment and rehabilitative services for women with breast cancer in these areas.
Methods • Using SaTScan/ArcGIS to identify geographic areas with higher proportion of excess cases. • Models used: - Poisson Model - Space-Time Permutation
SaTScan • SaTScan Software is available for free from NCI • SaTScan uses the Spatial Scan Statistic developed by Martin Kulldorff for the National Cancer Institute • Gives health agencies ability to quickly assess potential cancer clusters.
Spatial scan statistic • Circles of different sizes (from zero up to 50 % of the population size) • For each circle a likelihood ratio statistic is computed based on the number of observed and expected cases within and outside the circle and compared with the likelihood L0 under the null hypothesis.
SaTScan • To evaluate reported spatial or space-time disease clusters, to see if they are statistically significant. • To test whether a disease is randomly distributed over space, over time or over space and time. • To perform geographical surveillance of disease, to detect areas of significantly high or low rates. • To perform repeated time-periodic disease surveillance for the early detection of disease outbreaks.
Poisson Model • With the Poisson model, the number of cases in each location is Poisson-distributed. • Under the null hypothesis, and when there are no covariates, the expected number of cases in each area is proportional to its population size, or to the person-years in that area. • Purely spatial analysis was conducted using poisson model
Space-Time Permutation Model • For the Space-Time Permutation model, the number of observed cases in a cluster is compared to what would have been expected if the spatial and temporal locations of all cases were independent of each other so that there is no space-time interaction.
Data Analysis • Incidence cases from ACCR • 2000 Census block groups • ArcGIS for data geocoding, preparation and display.
Results from Poisson Model • Locations with most likely clusters identified and displayed using ArcGIS • Expected cases – 2,395 • Observed cases – 3,016 • Observed / expected – 1.259 • Test Statistic – 96.531 • P-Value - 0.001
Inference from Poisson Model • Most likely areas with higher than expected cases of breast cancer are centered around - Hot Spring, Pulaski, and Dallas Counties in the Central region. - Greene, Craighead, and Mississippi Counties in the northeast region
Inference from Poisson Model • Pros - Expected number of cases proportional to population size - Diseases of long latency • Cons - Purely spatial (Less time specific) - Less sensitive for a dynamic population
Results from STP Model • Locations with most likely clusters identified and displayed using ArcGIS • Time frame: 2003/8/1 - 2004/1/31 • Expected cases – 30 • Observed cases – 63 • Observed / expected – 2.120 • Test Statistic – 14.101 • P-value - <0.05
Inference from STP Model • Most likely areas with higher than expected cases of breast cancer are centered around -Cleburne, Van Buren, and White Counties in the north central part of the state
Inference from STP Model • Pros - Information on cases alone sufficient - Accounts for time changes • Cons - Population shift bias: Ignores population dynamics over time - Longer study period
Inference Poisson Model is preferred to calculate higher than expected cases in our scenario due to following reasons: • Since breast cancer is a disease of long latency • Arkansas has a relatively stable population
Recommendations • Future methods should focus on accounting for time and space in calculating higher than expected cases for diseases of long latency. • Also, adjusting for covariates like age, race, SES, and urban/rural would be critical.
Any Questions? Jim Files GIS Coordinator Arkansas Central Cancer Registry E-mail: james.files@arkansas.gov Web:www.healthyarkansas.com/arkcancer/arkcancer.html Tel: 501.661.2959