Abstract

Spatial and Statistical Web-based Cancer Atlas
Track: Health and Human Services
Authors: Khalid Al-Ahmadi, Atiq Al-Dossari

Cancer is a major health problem in both developed and developing countries and the second most frequent cause of death in the developed countries and fourth leading cause of death in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). This paper presents an interactive web-based cancer atlas, which aims to analyze cancer data spatially and statically in a dynamic way over the web. The cancer atlas has been implemented using client-server architecture leveraging ESRI ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Server Flex API platforms. The application has been used to analyze cancer data in Saudi Arabia on four spatial levels: national, regional, sub-regional and cites, in order to describe spatial distribution, pattern, cluster and trend of cancers for planning and resource allocation, and to target further epidemiologic investigations into the causes of cancer. Using such application will be helpful to set priorities for public health activities, early detection and screening and cancer prevention and control.