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Updated: Dec 29, 2025
Generation of Organ-conditioned Media and Applications for Studying Organ-specific Influences on Breast Cancer Metastatic Behavior
Published on: June 13, 2016
[Spatial autocorrelation of breast cancer mortality in the Metropolitan Region, Chile: an ecological study]
Doris Durán1, María José Monsalves2
1Programa de Doctorado en Salud Pública, Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile. Address: Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Lota 2465, Santiago 7510157, Chile. Email: doris.duran@uss.cl. ORCID: 0000-0001-6944-9410.
Introduction:
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and Chile, being the leading cause of female cancer death. A wide variation in mortality has been reported, with geographic clusters of higher risk.
Objective:
To spatially analyze mortality from breast cancer in women in the Metropolitan Region in 2015.
Methods:
Ecological study of location. We used death records in 2015 (C50 according to ICD10) and population projections of the Statistics Institute to estimate mortality rates. We calculated crude breast cancer mortality rates and standardized mortality ratios and performed a spatial epidemiological analysis of breast cancer mortality in women, estimating the global and local Moran I index to assess spatial autocorrelation. We present the results in maps according to the 2016 pre-census cartography.
Results:
There were 622 deaths from breast cancer in the Metropolitan Region in 2015. The mean age was 66 years (SD: 15.5). 92.4% of deaths were registered in urban or central areas. However, the highest mortality rates were observed in peripherical districts. No global spatial autocorrelation was observed in the region (Morans I 0.007 p = 0.134). However, at the local level, four districts differ significantly from their neighbors.
Conclusions:
The risk of dying from breast cancer in the Metropolitan Region of Chile is concentrated in women from peripherical communes. Four districts in the region present different risks from their neighboring districts. It is necessary to investigate local realities to prevent deaths from this pathology.
