Spatial distribution of breast and cervical cancer incidences in Kelantan: A geographical analysis

Breast and cervical cancers are globally the two most common cancers among women. In Malaysia, 3,738 and 1,557 breast and cervical cancer cases were reported in 2003 respectively. At present, detected cases are recorded and stored in tabular form, which can only be used to present the statistics of the cases. It lacks the spatial component which could be used not only to evaluate the statistics, but also to show the location (place), distribution and pattern of cases. This article demonstrates the application of spatial statistics methods namely average nearest neighborhood, mean center and directional ellipse in mapping and evaluating the spatial distribution of breast and cervical cancer incidences in the state of Kelantan. Based on tabular data obtained from HUSM, high numbers cancer incidences were recorded in Kota Bharu district. However, based on the incidences calculated per 100,000 population revealed that Kota Bharu, Bachok and Pasir Puteh have the highest incidences of breast and cervical cancer incidences. This is due to the population’s accessibility to screening and health care facilities. This article provides an alternative approach to view health data and advocates the inclusion of spatial information in the Cancer Registry. This information could effectively be used in communicating with, and educating the public or planning health care delivery.