Spatial Analysis and Predictive Modeling of Cancer Incidence in Lake County Illinois
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/gjs.2026.3104Keywords:
Bar plot, Cancer, Illinois, lake county, scatter plot, spatial distributionAbstract
Certain regions may have higher cancer rates just by accident. Generally speaking, only when the pattern is statistically significant does it merit further investigation. This research was aimed at determining the relationships between cancer types, hotspots, and spatial patterns while considering environmental and demographic factors. An overview of the distribution of cancer and the relationships between different cancer types was provided by the data on cancer types gathered across ZIP codes from the Lake County Geographic Information System (GIS) in Illinois, as regards the cancer incidence updated (November 2024). Descriptive statistics such as minimum, maximum, and mean were used to summarize the data; skewness and outliers were visualized using a histogram. Scatterplots, bar plots, and spatial mapping were employed to describe the spatial variations and identified hotspots based on relative risks (RR). The relationships between cancer types were explored using correlation, and a linear regression model was employed to assess the factors that affect other types of cancer. Findings showed that cancers have significant maximum incidences such as breast, prostate, and lung cancers, while colorectal and urinary system cancers have lower minimum incidences. From the scatter and bar plot distribution of cancer incidence rates across the study, results revealed areas in Illinois with ZIP codes such as 60069, 60035, 60045 and 60044 are classified as hotspots, with higher chances of cancer incidence. Breast cancer and Urinary cancer System were significantly linked to the other types of cancers, through spatial mapping. These results highlight how critical it is to address demographic and environmental issues that might be causing these trends.
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