Cancer mapping pilot study of cancer association patients in Anderson County, SC

Abstract

This study represents a collaboration between the Cancer Association of Anderson (CAA) and the Anderson University Center for Cancer Research (AU CCR), both located in Anderson, SC, with the assistance and support of Anderson University Professional and Lifelong Learning (AU PLL).

The CAA began importing patient information in 2016 into a Microsoft Excel workbook to create a digital record that could store and provide more convenient searching and the production of reports. In a robust collaborative effort between CAA, the AU CCR, and Anderson University students, additional pertinent information from the previous paper files was gathered by contacting patients. The data was imported from the Excel system and put into a reporting system that allowed CAA staff and AU CCR students to refine the information needed to obtain an overview of cancer across Anderson County as a snapshot of those assisted by CAA. The Clemson University GIS data system and the database reports were used to plot the location of cancer incidents (the individual patient's locations) and to produce maps that aided the students in drawing initial conclusions.

By working collaboratively from 2019 through 2020, the CAA and AU students have gathered local Anderson County cancer patient information and created maps to pinpoint different cancers by location. These maps indicate geographic trends of various cancers and support further investigation into the cause of those cancers. They also indicate increased or decreased rates of cancer over time.