Tumor registry publishes cancer statistics

LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry has published the fourth report of statewide cancer incidence rates by census tract.

The release of cancer incidence data is governed by the federal patient privacy law and federal standards for producing valid data. To protect patient confidentiality, HIPAA prohibits publication of health information by geographic area when the underlying population is 20,000 or less. The United States Cancer Statistics standards for generating reliable cancer incidence rates require case counts of 16 or more to report. To increase the number of census tracts meeting the publication criteria, LTR combined 10 years of data – 2008-2017.

The cancer incidence rate is the number of newly diagnosed cancer cases in a specified population during the specified years, usually expressed as the number of cancers per 100,000 population.

Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a parish. Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people. Of the 1,148 census tracts in Louisiana, 932 met the publication criteria for all cancers combined. For specific cancer types, fewer census tracts met the criteria.

For all cancers combined, of the 932 census tracts meeting the publication criteria when 2008-2017 data were combined, 81 census tracts from 29 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates as compared with Louisiana, and 98 census tracts had lower incidence rates.
The census tract with the highest incidence rate that is statistically significant for all cancers combined in Louisiana is 22115950707, which is Fort Polk South in Vernon Parish. The second and third statistically significantly higher rates are found in Orleans Parish – the Desire Neighborhood and the CBD/Warehouse District.

Regarding the so-called “Cancer Alley,” a commonly used term that has no scientific validity, results are mixed. In the industrial corridor, consisting of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, and West Baton Rouge parishes, the report documents significantly higher cancer incidence, as well as significantly lower cancer incidence rates as compared with Louisiana, for some cancers in some individual census tracts.

Results:

Cancers of the Lung and Bronchus: Of the 846 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 69 census tracts in 34 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 64 census tracts had lower rates.

Prostate Cancer: Of the 470 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 37 census tracts in 17 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 39 had lower rates.

Female Breast Cancer: Of the 519 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 23 census tracts in 10 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 28 census tracts had lower rates.

Colorectal Cancer: Of the 701 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 55 census tracts in 29 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 24 census tracts had lower rates.

Cancers of the Kidney and Renal Pelvis: Of the 179 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 22 census tracts in 10 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Findings for other cancer types include:

Bon-Hodgkin lymphoma: Of the 120 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 14 census tracts in seven parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Urinary Bladder Cancer: Of the 121 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 26 census tracts in 16 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Melanoma of the Skin: Of the 122 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 66 census tracts in 18 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.
Pancreas: Of the 26 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 8 census tracts in six parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.
Oral Cavity & Pharynx: Of the 21 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 6 census tracts in sicx parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Leukemia: Of the 29 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 8 census tracts in seven parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower. rates.

Thyroid: Of the 39 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 16 census tracts in 11 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Corpus Uterus: Of the 3 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 1 census tract in 1 parish had a statistically significantly higher incidence rate than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct: Of the 7 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 7 census tracts in 5 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Stomach: Of the 2 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 1 census tract in 1 parish had a statistically significantly higher incidence rate than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Myeloma: Only 1 census tract met the publication criteria and the rate was statistically significantly higher than Louisiana.

The complete report, with maps, is available online at http://lsuh.sc/nr?a=2031.