The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Mortality in Pennsylvania: A Retrospective Study with Geospatial Analysis

Purpose. We sought to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer mortality and identify associated factors in Pennsylvania. Methods. The retrospective study analyzed cross-sectional cancer mortality data from CDC WONDER for 2015 through 2020 for Pennsylvania and its 67 counties. The spatial distributions of 2019, 2020, and percentage change in age-adjusted mortality rates by county were analyzed via choropleth maps and spatial autocorrelation. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to analyze whether the rates differed between 2019 and 2020. Quasi-Poisson and geographically weighted regression at the county-level were used to assess the association between the 2019 rates, sex (percent female), race (percent non-White), ethnicity (percent Hispanic/Latino), rural-urban continuum codes, and socioeconomic status with the 2020 rates. Results. There were 27,955 cancer deaths in 2020 compared to 27,746 in 2019. At the state-level, the rate in 2020 did not reflect the declining annual trend (-2.7 per 100,000) in the rate since 2015. Twenty-six counties had an increase in the rate in 2020. Of the factors examined, the 2019 rates were positively associated with the 2020 rates, and the impact of sociodemographic and geographic factors on the 2020 rates varied by county. Conclusions. Pennsylvania had an increase in the number of cancer deaths in 2020 compared to 2019, and the 2020 cancer mortality rates did not decline as much as reported before the COVID-19 pandemic. Future cancer control efforts may need to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trends and geospatial distribution in cancer mortality.

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Work Title The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Mortality in Pennsylvania: A Retrospective Study with Geospatial Analysis
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Open Access
Creators
  1. Savanna Ledford
  2. Fritz Kessler
  3. Jennifer Moss
  4. Ming Wang
  5. Eugene Lengerich
Keyword
  1. COVID-19
  2. Cancer mortality
  3. Geospatial analysis
  4. Pennsylvania
License No Copyright - U.S.
Work Type Research Paper
Publication Date 2023
Geographic Area
  1. Pennsylvania
Deposited April 13, 2023

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  • Added Creator Savanna Ledford
  • Added Creator Fritz Kessler
  • Added Creator Jennifer Moss
  • Added Creator Ming Wang
  • Added Creator Eugene Lengerich
  • Added Impact_of_COVID19_on_Cancer_Mortality_Retro_Geospatial_Analysis.docx
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    • 2023
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    • 2023
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    Description
    • Abstract
    • Purpose. We sought to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer mortality and identify associated factors in Pennsylvania.
    • Methods. The retrospective study analyzed cross-sectional cancer mortality data from CDC WONDER for 2015 through 2020 for Pennsylvania and its 67 counties. The spatial distributions of 2019, 2020, and percentage change in age-adjusted mortality rates by county were analyzed via choropleth maps and spatial autocorrelation. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to analyze whether the rates differed between 2019 and 2020. Quasi-Poisson and geographically weighted regression at the county-level were used to assess the association between the 2019 rates, sex (percent female), race (percent non-White), ethnicity (percent Hispanic/Latino), rural-urban continuum codes, and socioeconomic status with the 2020 rates.
    • Results. There were 27,955 cancer deaths in 2020 compared to 27,746 in 2019. At the state-level, the rate in 2020 did not reflect the declining annual trend (-2.7 per 100,000) in the rate since 2015. Twenty-six counties had an increase in the rate in 2020. Of the factors examined, the 2019 rates were positively associated with the 2020 rates, and the impact of sociodemographic and geographic factors on the 2020 rates varied by county.
    • Conclusions. Pennsylvania had an increase in the number of cancer deaths in 2020 compared to 2019, and the 2020 cancer mortality rates did not decline as much as reported before the COVID-19 pandemic. Future cancer control efforts may need to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trends and geospatial distribution in cancer mortality.
  • Updated