Kansas Launches New Cancer Data Dashboard
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has launched a new cancer data dashboard hoping state residents will come to consider it their go-to resource for improving cancer care, cancer prevention and driving health care policymaking.
The dashboard was developed through a collaboration of the department and the state Bureau of Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics, using data from the Kansas Cancer Registry, Vital Statistics and the Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
The tool enables users to access data on cancer incidence, mortality, survivorship, screening and cancer risk factors with a simple, interactive interface. Users can explore cancer data by sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, race, ethnicity and population density, and they can view data mapped across Kansas counties and regions.
”The new Cancer Data Dashboard is a valuable resource for cancer prevention and control efforts in Kansas,” Jana Farmer, cancer section director at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said.
”By making this data accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, we can enhance decision-making and drive evidence-based strategies that improve cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship outcomes for Kansans,” Farmer said.
Among the dashboard’s key features are:
- A snapshot of the top 10 cancer diagnoses and cancer deaths by sex and age group, along with age-specific incidence and mortality rates for all cancers.
- Age-adjusted cancer incidence rates for 24 cancer types, segmented by sociodemographic factors, and including data on both overall and late-stage cancer diagnoses, as well as the most recent 10 years of incidence data.
- Cancer death data for 24 cancer types, segmented by sociodemographic characteristics such as age, sex, race and ethnicity.
- Cancer screening prevalence rates for lung, colorectal, cervical, and female breast cancer based on U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, along with data on cancer risk factors such as tobacco use, binge drinking, obesity, and physical inactivity, as well as information on family history collection and genetic counseling.
In addition, the dashboard includes data related to cancer survivorship, which is sourced from the Kansas BRFSS cancer survivorship modules.
Among other things, the dashboard allows users to compare cancer survivors with individuals without a cancer diagnosis on topics like health care access, health status, cancer risk factors and cancer screening rates.
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