Abstract 4224: University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center catchment area informatics platform
Authors: Metwaly Ahmed Fadiel , Koster Adam Thomas , Abbasi Mohammad , Odunsi Adekunle 
Published: April 2023

Every cancer center has a surrounding geolocation known as a catchment area (CA). Data about this CA can help cancer centers better understand the population and type of patients the center is targeting. In addition, collecting, analyzing, and visualizing this data can help the cancer center better understand population needs and gain more insights to provide predictive care instead of reactive care. However, the multidimensionality and complexity of the CA data requires the build of a specialized platform that can handle this heterogenous data. Motivated by this need and to answer specific questions about the CA, the UCCCC developed a new informatics platform that provides access to analytical tools, data handling, and an exchange environment. The goal of this platform is also to support a collaborative community to study CA dynamics related to health disparity and cancer. Here we present a new Geoinformatics platform that offers capabilities for using and modifying spatial data. It facilitates interrogating, modifying, executing, and mapping data. Data includes imagery, features, and base maps linked to spreadsheets and tables. The data is kept in the RDBMS (Relational Database Management System). Other query software tools are needed to deal with the database system including a server to launch the GIS application with specific RAM, GPU, and good SSD to back up the database. The database could be saved on google firebase to handle real-time queries. Thus, the maps can be easily shared and embedded in apps and accessible by virtually everyone, everywhere. The datasets used were downloaded from conventional websites (listed in the appendix) and internal datasets. The goal is to answer basic questions including the count of patients in that area, socioeconomic status, distribution in terms of demography (race, age, gender), physical environment, and other factors. Furthermore, it will be able to find correlations across many variables given the response variable, such as type of disease (lung, ovarian, breast cancer). Solving Critical Problems in Cancer Control using Spatial Science as well as being able to select a geographic location/region/area and plot the data across different dimensions, possibly on a map or another type of view. Geographic information needs a way to integrate data from several sources with varying degrees of accuracy. The platform provides real-time changes in the CA, so it needs to be updated frequently to stay current. The tool will connect the dataset to maps, integrating location data (where things are) with all kinds of descriptive information (how things are). Thus, a unique method of retrieval and manipulation is required for a significant portion of the data stored in GIS for practical usage.

Citation Format: Ahmed Fadiel Metwaly, Adam Thomas Koster, Mohammad Abbasi, Adekunle Odunsi. University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center catchment area informatics platform. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4224.