Visualizing Female Breast Cancer in Missouri

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, other than skin cancer. Over 12% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. In Missouri, about 4,500 new invasive female breast cancer cases were diagnosed and nearly 900 deaths occurred among Missouri women in 2011. Cancer incidence and mortality rates have traditionally been displayed in tables by geographic area (state, region and county), by tumor characteristic (e.g., stage at diagnosis, grade) and by demographic characteristics (age, race, etc.). To make breast cancer incidence and mortality data more understandable to a wider audience, the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center (MCR-ARC) began using data visualization tools to display data.

Purpose: Using data visualization software, create breast cancer dashboards that display breast cancer incidence, survival, mortality and trends by Missouri county and legislative district.

Methods: Using an Internet connection to the MCR-ARC website, we will demonstrate how users can obtain incidence and mortality rates in a data visualization format (e.g., maps, graphs, bar charts) for female breast cancers by tumor characteristic (e.g., stage at diagnosis (incidence only)) and demographics (e.g., age group, race, etc.) for each of Missouri’s 115 counties. We will also present survival data.

Results: We used data visualization techniques to create a breast cancer dashboard with maps, graphs and charts for 114 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis. We will show how specific questions can be answered and how geographic, tumor and demographic differences can easily be understood.

Conclusions/Discussion: Data visualization offers a powerful means of showing the impact of female breast cancer in Missouri and different parts of the state and differences that exist by tumor and demographic characteristics. Easily understood differences will increase knowledge and help focus attention on the need to reduce disparities.