The first map of cancer mortality in Spain and Portugal has revealed enigmatic patterns on both sides of the border. For some tumours, such as those of the breast, oesophagus and larynx, the red spots indicating excess risk cross the imaginary line between the two countries and suggest shared factors. In other cancers, however, the border appears to be an impermeable barrier, as with lung, prostate, bladder and stomach tumours. This is the first time in the world that a cancer atlas includes municipalities in two countries.
The objectives of this atlas were:
- To study the existence of spatial patterns for the most frequent tumours
in Portugal and Spain jointly, taking municipalities as the unit of analysis
and using spatial smoothing techniques. - To explore the feasibility of analysing the mortality of the two countries
jointly in a single model to minimize border effects - To explore the usefulness of the information referring to municipalities in the elaboration of joint country maps as an instrument of surveillance and for the generation of hypotheses on aetiological factors.
- To provide high-resolution images showing the spatial distribution of cancer mortality in Portugal and Spain (including islands)
Find the map here
