Evaluating cluster alarms: a space-time scan statistic and brain cancer in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
OBJECTIVE
This article presents a space-time scan statistic, useful for evaluating space-time cluster alarms, and illustrates the method on a recent brain cancer cluster alarms in Los Alamos, NM.


METHODS
The space-time scan statistic accounts for the preselection bias and multiple testing inherent in a cluster alarm. Confounders and time trends can be adjusted for.


RESULTS
The observed excess of brain cancer in Los Alamos was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The space-time scan statistic is useful as a screening tool for evaluating which cluster alarms merit further investigation and which clusters are probably chance occurrences.
Kulldorff
M
M
Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md 20892-7368, USA.
Athas
W F
WF
Feurer
E J
EJ
Miller
B A
BA
Key
C R
CR
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D018426:SEER Program; D013029:Space-Time Clustering