An Analysis of Incidence Rates of Various Cancers versus Measurements of Wealth: Does Wealth Impact Incidence Rates of Cancer?
While extensive research has established a widely recognized positive correlation between wealth and cancer survival rates, there is a large gap in research in regards to the relationship between cancer incidence rates and wealth. The causal mechanism behind the relationship between cancer survival rates and wealth is quite straightforward; essentially, wealthier individuals tend to have better access to healthcare, which in turn allows them to receive better cancer care and thus increase their chances of survival. The relationship between wealth and incidence rates of cancer, however, remains much more blurred. Incidence rates, put simply, “refers to the occurrence of new cases of disease or injury in a population over a specified period of time” (CDC 2012). Cancer is characterized by a strong inherent randomness; according to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer center, “random, unpredictable DNA copying ‘mistakes’ account for nearly two-thirds of the mutations that cause cancer” (Wasta 2017). However, that is not to say cancer is entirely random — many risk factors also play a role in causing cancer. These factors can range from quite obvious and well-known events such as exposure to radiation, to less obvious causes including HPV-related events. To summarize, cancer incidence, while generally random, is strongly impacted by certain risk factors and behaviors. This study seeks to use wealth to pool together some of these specific risk factors and behaviors.
World Health Orginization
The World Bank
Linear Regressions as Estimation Strategy: GDP per capita vs. Cancer Incidence Rate, GNI per capita vs. Cancer Incidence Rate
View Plots