GIS at NCI
Introduction to GIS at NCI
Geospatial tools are used at NCI for a variety of applications, including:
- The identification and display of the geographic patterns of cancer incidence and mortality rates in the US and their change over time,
- The creation of complex databases for the study of cancer screening, diagnosis and survival at the community level,
- Environmental exposure assessment through satellite imagery,
- Spatial statistical models to estimate cancer incidence, prevalence and survival for every US state,
- Communication of local cancer information to the public and public health professionals through interactive web-based tools,
- The identification of health disparities at the local level through the comparison of cancer outcomes across demographic subgroups, and
- Development of new methods of displaying geospatial data for clear communication to the public and for examination of complex multivariate data by researchers.
- The Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP) and the Surveillance Research Program (SRP) support grant research to use GIS in cancer research and the development of methodologies to accomplish this research. EGRP also funded the development and maintenance of a geographic information system for breast cancer studies on Long Island (LI GIS). The LI GIS is available to researchers and can be used to study other types of cancer and conditions as well.
- Statistical Methodology and Applications Branch (SMAB)
The Statistical Methodology and Applications Branch (SMAB) contributes to GIS research by developing statistical methods for the analysis, display, and web-based communication of georeferenced cancer data.
- Surveillance Systems Branch (SSB)
The Surveillance Systems Branch (SSB) oversees the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, an integrated, comprehensive, multiple population-based reporting system of cancer registries covering 26% of the U.S. population. Cancer incidence information is provided at the state, county and census tract level. Investigators in SEER's Rapid Response Surveillance Studies (RRSS) are exploring and applying GIS technology in several areas.
- The Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program (EBP)
EBP has a long history of publishing the NCI cancer atlases.
- The Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB)
OEEB has an active research program in using satellite imagery to estimate the potential exposure to cancer-causing environmental agents by individuals living in agricultural areas.