Many large demographic and health datasets exist in the public domain and significant federal resources have been committed to their collection and maintenance. We postulate that, using geographic information systems (GIS) technology, the enormous body of information within these unrelated datasets can be integrated to efficiently explore novel hypotheses. For such purposes, however, precise methods of using GIS have not been well standardized. In this proposal, we intend to develop a method for integrating diverse data sets using GIS and then use the spatial capacities of GIS to answer epidemiologic questions. We will validate these methods using the model of Helicobacter pylori and malignancy. H. pylori is a known cause of stomach cancer, and has been purported to cause colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinomas and to protect against esophageal adenocarcinoma. The vast array of epidemiologic knowledge on this bacterium and its associated cancers makes it an excellent subject for validation of these methods. We will use GIS to combine data from the U.S. Census, NHANES III, and the SEER cancer registry. We will then assess the spatial correlations between H. pylori infection and specific cancer incidences and mortality rates. Development and validation of this methodology will highlight the utility of GIS in epidemiologic research. It will provide a cost-effective means to harness the power and efficiency of large-scale surveys to address specific hypotheses at low expense, even if they were not considered during the design of the surveys. Application of these methods could potentially allow investigators to use existing data sources to address novel hypotheses that may have otherwise been not feasible to pursue.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01CA095946-01A1
Application #
6578671
Study Section
Epidemiology and Disease Control Subcommittee 2 (EDC)
Program Officer
Erickson, Burdette (BUD) W
Project Start
2002-09-30
Project End
2005-08-31
Budget Start
2002-09-30
Budget End
2003-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$114,900
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771545
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305