SPACE TIME MODEL FOR CANCER INCIDENCES IN TAMIL NADU: MAPPING HEALTH STATISTICS FOR POLICY PROGRAMMING AND DECISION MAKING

Abstract

The burden of cancer is growing globally and is one of the top leading causes of death. Information on cancer patterns is essential for effective planning of cancer control interventions. In specific the geographical study of cancer will help in identifying the high risk communities for further etiological studies. The objective of the present study is to analyze the time based geographical expansion of cancer incidences in the study region. The spatialtemporal model using Knox and Mantel statistic was applied to identify if additional cases are added in subsequent time period from high incidence areas or from moderate areas or from low incidence areas. This study will provide an indication to any association between time trend and cancer incidences. Through the spatial temporal model, the high risk areas have been identified and the temporal variations in the risky zones were assessed