Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center

Geospatial, Epidemiology and Outcomes Shared Resource (GEOSR)

Leveraging the power of data, the Geospatial, Epidemiology and Outcomes Shared Resource catalyzes innovative translational and population-based research, with an emphasis on cancer disparities.

Scheduling, Location, and Hours of Operation

Virtual | Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
For support, please email geo@mcw.edu.
Submit a GEO iLab request

Services and Technologies

GEO provides access to 1) geospatial mapping and analysis; 2) cancer epidemiology and database expertise; 3) information on the cancer burden in the Catchment Area; 4) and integrated translational, clinical, and population data.

As part of its data services, GEO houses the Integrated Cancer Data Resource (ICDR). The ICDR facilitates centralized access to real-world data that includes electronic health records data, genomic data (reports and vendor-provided raw sequencing data), and imaging data through close collaboration with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). To access ICDR data, a Data Request Intake Form should be completed. 

 View the FY25 GEOSR price sheet (PDF)

 

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Geospatial Data Technology and Analysis
  • Innovative geospatial metrics
  • Spatial data acquisition/preparation/management
  • Cartography, mapping, data visualization
  • Geocoding, distance estimation and routing
  • Geographic access estimation and disease mapping
  • Spatial pattern and cluster analysis and modeling
  • Small area estimation
  • Web-based mapping and GPS data collection/analysis

Epidemiological Information about the Catchment Area
  • Cancer burden data for grant applications
  • Basic epidemiologic summaries (Froedtert-MCW, Southeastern WI, Catchment Area, WI, US)
  • Cancer maps (Catchment Area, WI)
  • Website (cancer maps, public data, related sites)
Cancer Outcomes Data and Analysis
  • Database acquisition/licensing agreements
  • Database repository and maintenance
  • Database cleaning
  • Data manipulation; linkage and variable creation
  • Preparation of analytic datasets and dictionaries
  • Data analyses
  • Computer and statistical programming (e.g., R, Python)
  • Data integration, pipelining, storage, and security
  • Integrated Cancer Data Resource (ICDR) access and data analytics
  • NIH compliant Data Management Plans
Geospatial, Epidemiology and Outcomes Shared Resource

iLab Requests and Support

Access the links below to learn how to register for iLab and submit requests.

Researcher at Monitor

Shared Resource Acknowledgement

A condition for using MCW Cancer Center supported Shared Resources is that each Shared Resource is acknowledged in the publication. These acknowledgements enable the Cancer Center to measure and document Shared Resource productivity, impact, and service to members.

View Shared Resource acknowledgement instructions. (PDF)

Geospatial Data Resources

GEOSR ensures that Cancer Center members are equipped with the clinical and population data necessary to identify and address gaps in cancer-related research and services in the Catchment Area.
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Froedtert/MCW Health System
Cancer Data: Wisconsin
Cancer Data: National
Survey Information
Health Resources and Service Administration
Population-Level
Environmental
Wisconsin Geographic Information Systems
Geography-Level Measures

Leadership

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Kirsten Beyer, PhD, MPH, MS

Co-Director, Geospatial, Epidemiology and Outcomes Shared Resource (GEOSR)

kbeyer@mcw.edu

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Anai Kothari, MD, MS

Co-Director, Geospatial, Epidemiology and Outcomes Shared Resource (GEOSR)

akothari@mcw.edu

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Tina Yen, MD, MS, FACS, FSSO

Co-Director, Geospatial, Epidemiology and Outcomes Shared Resource (GEOSR)

tyen@mcw.edu

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Notable Publications

The health risk of social disadvantage is transplantable into a new host. (Turcotte LM, Wang T, Beyer KM, Cole SW, Spellman SR, Allbee-Johnson M, Williams E, Zhou Y, Verneris MR, Rizzo JD, Knight JM) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 JUL 23; 121(30):e2404108121. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404108121. 2024 Jul 15. PMID: 39008669; PMCID: PMC11287259; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85199015473

Effects of housing stability and contemporary mortgage lending bias on breast cancer stage at diagnosis among older women in the United States. (Rademacher N, Zhou Y, McGinley EL, Laud PW, Yen TWF, Ponce SB, Nattinger AB (CC), Beyer KMM) Cancer Med. 2024 JUL 01; 13(14):e7397. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7397. PMID: 39030995; PMCID: PMC11258551; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85199018217

Severity of prior coronavirus disease 2019 is associated with postoperative outcomes after major inpatient surgery. (Verhagen NB, SenthilKumar G, Jaraczewski T, Koerber NK, Merrill JR, Flitcroft MA, Szabo A, Banerjee A, Yang X, Taylor BW, Figueroa Castro CE, Yen TWF, Clarke CN, Lauer K, Pfeifer KJ, Gould JC, Kothari AN, N3C Consortium) Ann Surg. 2023 NOV 01; 278(5):e949-e956. DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006035. 2023 Jul 21. PMID: 37476995; PMCID: PMC10659141 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85173563272 

Isolation and survival: The impact of local and MSA isolation on survival among non-Hispanic Black women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States using a SEER-Medicare cohort. (Canales B, Laud PW, Tarima S, Zhou Y, Bikomeye JC, McGinley EL, Yen TWF, Bemanian A, Beyer KMM) Health Place 2023 Sep;83:103090. PMID: 37531804; PMCID: PMC10528833; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85166298261 

Historical redlining and breast cancer treatment and survival among older women in the United States. (Bikomeye JC, Zhou Y, McGinley EL, Canales B, Yen TWF, Tarima S, Ponce SB, Beyer KMM). J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023 JUN 08; 115(6):652-661. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djad034; PMID: 36794919; PMCID: PMC10248836; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85163239340

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 decreases risk of adverse events in patients who develop COVID-19 following cancer surgery. (Verhagen NB, Koerber NK, Szabo A, Taylor B, Wainaina JN, Evans DB, Kothari AN, N3C Consortium) Ann Surg Oncol 2023 Mar;30(3):1305-1308. PMID: 36479662; PMCID: PMC9734328; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85143492422 

High-resolution disease maps for cancer control in low-resource settings: A spatial analysis of cervical cancer incidence in Kampala, Uganda. (Beyer K, Kasasa S, Anguzu R, Lukande R, Nambooze S, Amulen PM, Zhou Y, Nansereko B, Jankowski C, Oyana T, Savino D, Feustel K, Wabinga H) J Glob Health 2022;12:04032. PMID: 35493778; PMCID: PMC9022722; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85129781672 

Pharmacy deserts and patients with breast cancer receipt of influenza vaccines. (Neuner JM, Zhou Y, Fergestrom N, Winn A, Pezzin L, Laud PW, Beyer K) J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) 2021;61(6):e25-e31. PMID: 34340925; PMCID: PMC8783974; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85115339368

Mortgage lending bias and breast cancer survival among older women in the United States. (Beyer KMM, Zhou Y, Laud PW, McGinley EL, Yen TWF, Jankowski C, Rademacher N, Namin S, Kwarteng J, Beltrán Ponce S, Nattinger AB) J Clin Oncol 2021 Sep 01;39(25):2749-2757. PMID: 34129388; PMCID: PMC8407650; Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85115440319

Sample Illustration: Wisconsin Lung Cancer Incidence, 2010-2015

Using data from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System, members of the GEOSR team discovered lung cancer incidence rate is indirectly age-sex standardized and smoothed using adaptive spatial filtering.

Red areas on the map indicate higher rates than expected and blue areas indicate lower rates than expected, given the regional rate. Areas without color exhibit rates close to the regional rate.

The “Percent Minority” layer displays the percent of people who identify as a minority in each Census Tract. This layer is only visible at a higher zoom level. Different layers can be selected and overlapped to observe patterns.

Data was obtained from the American Cancer Society (ACS) 2012-2016 estimates and EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency.