Breast cancer screening, area deprivation, and later-stage breast cancer in Appalachia: does geography matter?

Objective: To model the relationship of an area-based measure of a breast cancer screening and geographic area deprivation on the incidence of later stage breast cancer (LSBC) across a diverse region of Appalachia.

Data Source: Central cancer registry data (2006-2008) from three Appalachian states were linked to Medicare claims and census data.

Study Design: Exploratory spatial analysis preceded the statistical model based on negative binomial regression to model predictors and effect modification by geographic subregions.