Spatial Analysis of Colorectal Cancer Incidence in Hamadan Province, Iran: a Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is ranked the third most common cancer in women and the fourth in men in Iran. Many factors contribute to CRC occurrence, and most of them are interrelated. The present study aimed to explore the spatial pattern of CRC incidence in Hamadan province, Iran. We collected and analyzed data on patients' location, gender, age, and date of diagnosis recorded in the CRC registry between 2007 and 2014 in Hamadan province. The Anselin Local Moran's I statistic was conducted to identify clusters and outliers of CRC distribution. There were 805 recorded CRC cases in Hamadan province during 2007-2014, with an incidence of 45.89 patients per 100,000 people. Three significant clusters of both high and low incidence rate were found in the study area. This research demonstrated significant geographical disparities in CRC incidence in Hamadan province. The spatial analysis of CRC incidence pattern generates new hypothesis on effect of location in disease clusters. These findings may shine light on underlying risk factors in areas where the CRC risk is greater and how contextual factors may play a role in CRC geographic disparity.