Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121473

Calondra D. Tibbs, MPH and Jennifer Ward, MS, AHT. Epidemiology Program, Memphis and Shelby County Health Department, 814 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38105, 9015447743, ctibbs@co.shelby.tn.us

This review investigated possible cancer excess in the Cypress Creek community using Tennessee Cancer Registry (TCR) data from 1991-2000. This review was conducted in response to the detection of environmental contamination, specifically dieldrin, in soil along Cypress Creek. Also, community residents showed concern for increased cancer risk due to possible exposure to the chemicals. The review analyzed six cancers for a potential excess. The cancers reviewed were: breast, pancreas, endometrial, rectal, prostate, and testicular cancers. The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department employed a standardized incidence ratio design to compare incidence of six cancers in the focus area (1991-2000) with incidence of the same cancers in Shelby County, TN. Using age-adjusted cancer rates we estimated cancer rates for both the focus area and Shelby County to determine if there was any increase rate of cancer. Among white females in the focus area, the observed breast cancers were statistically higher than expected as compared to Shelby County. Also, in African-American females, the age-adjusted incidence rate for pancreatic cancer was statistically higher than Shelby County. These results suggest that there is an excess of breast cancer among white females and pancreatic cancer among African-American females. However, since breast cancer is the most common cancer in the focus area and in Shelby County, the increase of breast cancer among white females may be artificial since the white female population in the focus area is so small. Overall, pancreatic cancer is the 5th leading cancer in the focus area population, whereas it is the 7th leading cancer in Shelby County, which may suggest that further information is needed to determine why the age-adjusted incidence rate in the focus area is higher.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop a cancer incidence review process to identify cancer excess in sub-populations
• Evaluate standardized cancer incidence ratios for sub-populations
• Articulate complex data to general public

Keywords: Environmental Health, Epidemiology

Related Web page: www.shelbycountytn.gov

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation