The Statistical Methodology and Applications Branch (SMAB) of the Surveillance Research Program (SRP) conducts and supports statistical research, modeling, and collaboration related to the cancer surveillance and cancer control missions of the NCI. Essential corollaries to the development of cancer surveillance databases and cancer control interventions are the statistical analyses and mathematical modeling that contribute insight into the interpretation of these data. Research within SMAB is targeted at improving and developing statistical methods and models for use in the analysis and presentation of population-based cancer statistics, as well as in the broader areas of cancer surveillance and cancer control research. SMAB promotes and facilitates the use of these methods and models at NCI, in other federal agencies, as well as throughout the extramural research community. Cancer surveillance research requires estimates of the prevalence of cancer risk factors and screening behaviors for small geographical areas such as counties. Small area estimates require the use of statistical models. Small area estimates using a model-based approach have been previously developed (Raghunathan et al., 2007). These estimates and supporting documentation have been placed on a website (http://sae.cancer.gov) which was launched in May, 2010.
