Some developments in disease atlas mapping in the 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

Six atlases of ill-health are used to describe the state of the art in the mid-1980s. Of these, five are specifically concerned with sites of cancer and employ medical data from cancer registries concerning either morbidity alone or mortality and morbidity in a comparative sense. The development and objectives of each and the general techniques available are reviewed together with comments on the degree of comparative success achieved. The sixth atlas is different in kind and centres upon methods of analysis of epidemiological data. The authors' clear exposition of statistical methods illustrated by actual research examples adds greatly to the potential of geographical handling as a means towards advances in medicine.