Exploring the relationship between cancer incidence, social deprivation, and territorial typology: An ecological analysis at the sub-municipal level of three cancer types.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to capture, at a fine geographical level, disparities in cancer incidence and to provide insight into the link between these disparities and social disadvantage, while taking into account territorial typology. METHODS: The analysis, conducted at the sub-municipal level, examined data from a French cancer registry that is part off the Francim network (the French network of cancer registries) regarding lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The European Deprivation Index (EDI) was used to measure social deprivation. Hierarchical Bayesian models were employed to estimate, for each sub-municipal unit the posterior mean relative risk (RR) of cancer and to examine the relationship between cancer incidence, social deprivation, and rurality. RESULTS: The study revealed significant geographical disparities in lung cancer incidence, as well as minimal disparities in colorectal and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cancers. For lung cancer, these disparities were closely linked to social deprivation. Including a typology of territories categorised by rurality and population density in the models had little impact on the geographical disparities in the incidence rates of these three types of cancer. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of analysing these disparities at a fine geographical level while taking into account territorial deprivation, to produce actionable maps that can guide targeted public health measures in the most affected areas.