National CRC Screening Summit

Sahar

Pdf Summary

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has developed a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Mapping Dashboard to enhance cancer control efforts, particularly around colorectal cancer (CRC). Led by Dr. Liora Sahar and the Geospatial Solutions Team (GST), the dashboard integrates county-level data on CRC incidence, mortality, and screening rates, alongside various socio-demographic and risk factor variables such as obesity, smoking, and binge drinking.<br /><br />GIS plays a critical role by answering the “WHERE” – helping to identify geographic patterns and trends in cancer metrics across space and time. It supports identifying populations and regions where interventions can have the greatest impact, such as pinpointing Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) for targeted CRC screening programs. The dashboard overlays disease burden, screening, and health service data, enabling comparison across states and regions while facilitating custom visualizations to explore disparities and opportunities for action.<br /><br />Data sources include the Commission on Cancer Certified hospitals, HRSA-published FQHC locations, National Cancer Institute centers, and national cancer profiles, updated regularly. The ACS Screening Disparity Atlas complements the dashboard by mapping disparities in breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening and outcomes at the county level.<br /><br />Users can view bi-variate maps, explore detailed graphs, select multiple geographies, and examine demographic details to inform advocacy and public health planning. The dashboard also includes emerging data sets, such as LGBTQ population statistics and late-stage cancer incidence.<br /><br />ACS offers additional tools like the CancerRisk360TM self-assessment for personalized cancer risk evaluation to encourage early detection.<br /><br />The ACS team encourages stakeholder feedback to guide ongoing development and expansion of these geospatial resources, aiming to drive actionable insights to reduce cancer disparities nationwide. Access to the dashboard and atlas is available online, with plans for upcoming updates.<br /><br />For questions or feedback, contact: acsgis@cancer.org.

Keywords

American Cancer Society

Geographic Information Systems

colorectal cancer

cancer control

cancer screening

health disparities

GIS dashboard

cancer incidence

Federally Qualified Health Centers

public health planning