268000 Epidemiology Guidelines for Investigating Cancer Clusters

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Erin Simms, MPH , Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, GA
Background The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define a cancer cluster as a greater than expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a defined period of time. Suspected cancer clusters are investigated by epidemiologists who try to determine whether a suspected cluster represents a true excess of cancer cases. In 1990 a document entitled Guidelines for Investigating Clusters of Health Events was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). This report offered a systematic approach to health agencies for investigating clusters of health events and focused on non-infectious health events generally. There have been substantial changes in the investigation of cancer clusters in state health agencies since the 1990s.

Method CDC and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) have collaborated in the form of a workgroup to provide updated, practical guidelines to state and local health departments with a specific focus on cancer cluster investigations.

Results The document is divided into five sections and addresses lessons learned from recent investigations, triggers for investigating a suspected cluster outlined in a four-step systematic process, addresses considerations for effective communication, describes data and other resources useful for cancer cluster investigation, and provides useful statistical and epidemiologic approaches for investigating suspected cancer clusters. The final document has been submitted to MMWR.

Conclusions This poster presentation will highlight updates to the report on guidelines for investigating cancer clusters and describe the decision making process outlined for epidemiologists in state and local health departments.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
Define cancer cluster Describe new guidance provided by CDC and CSTE on investigating cancer cluster investigations

Keywords: Cancer, Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the program analyst who oversaw the completion of this project from the CSTE national office.
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.