Does the atlas provide information about cancer clusters?
No. A “cancer cluster” is generally defined as the occurrence of a greater than expected number of cancer cases or deaths over a short period of time in a small area, such as a neighborhood, a workplace, or medical practice. In such instances, the Atlas or Web site may be helpful in providing background information about how cancer mortality rates in a particular county or SEA compare to the surrounding counties or SEAs, or to the state or national rates, but it cannot provide information at the level of town or neighborhood. In the context of the Atlas, a “geographic cluster” is used to indicate a group of adjacent counties or SEAs with unusually high rates compared to other parts of the country. Click here for more information on cancer clusters.
