237967 Spatial Distribution of Colorectal Cancer Incidence & Late Stage Diagnosis in Houston, Texas (1995-2007)

Monday, October 31, 2011

Monica Slentz, BS , Community Health Statistics, Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Houston, TX
Deborah Banerjee, PhD , Community Health Statistics, City of Houston Department of Health & Human Services, Houston, TX
Vincent Chen, PhD , Division of Behavioral Sciences and Division of Biostatistics, University of Texas, Houston, TX
Mario Schootman, PhD , Health Behavior Research, Washington University of St. Louis-School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
Riju Stephen, MS , Office of Health Planning, Evaluation and Program Development, Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Houston, TX
Survival rates among those diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) are vastly improved when the disease is diagnosed and treated at an early stage [CDC, 2007]. In the United States, racial and social disparities exist in rates of both the incidence and stage at diagnosis of CRC [Ries et al. 2000]. Investigators from the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS), the University of Texas School of Public Health (UTSPH), and Washington University are collaborating to identify neighborhoods in Houston, Texas, where disparities in incidence and late stage diagnosis are most pronounced for targeting implementation of local intervention strategies.

Geocoded CRC data (n=14,108 cases) for 1995-2007 were obtained from the population-based Texas Cancer Registry for 592 census tracts encompassing the city of Houston. These data were mapped using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, ArcGIS version 9.3.1. Kernel density estimation was used to identify census tracts with a high burden of CRC incidence and late stage diagnoses.

Population- and age-adjusted cluster analyses were performed using purely spatial Poisson models in SaTScan™ software, version 7. Results indicate that many underserved African American neighborhoods in Houston are at elevated risk of both excess incidence and late-stage diagnosis. Results from this project will allow researchers to target neighborhoods with the greatest disease burden and to implement population-level strategies aimed at reducing this burden in the future.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
(1) Describe the spatial distribution of colorectal cancer cases, and (2) identify disparities in the spatial distribution of late-stage colorectal cancer in a diverse, densely populated, urban setting.

Keywords: Cancer, Geographic Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present the poster because I have experience in spatial cluster analysis.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.