exploring the spatial patterns of three prevalent cancer latent risk factors in iran; using a shared component model

background and aims: the aim of this study was the modeling of the incidence rates of colorectal, breast and prostate cancers using a shared component model in order to explore the spatial pattern of their shared risk factors (i.e., obesity and low physical activity) affecting on cancer incidence, and also to estimate the relative weight of these shared components. methods: in this study, the new cases of colorectal, breast and prostate cancers information provided by the management center of ministry of health and medical education in 2009 were analyzed. the bayesian shared component model was used. in addition, bym (besag, york and mollie) model was applied to investigate the geographical pattern of disease incidence rates, individually. results: the larger effect of obesity on the incidence of the relevant cancers was found in ardabil, west azarbaijan, gilan, zanjan, kurdistan, qazvin, tehran, mazandaran, hamadan, kermanshah, semnan, golestan, yazd and kerman, and this component was more important for prostate cancer compared to colorectal and breast cancers. in addition, low physical activity shared component had more effect on the incidence of colorectal and breast cancers in ardabil, zanjan, qazvin, tehran, mazandaran, markazi, lorestan, kermanshah, ilam, khuzestan, south khorasan, yazd, kerman and fars, and also, this component was more important for breast cancer compared to colorectal cancer. conclusion: based on deviance information criterion, combined modeling of three understudy cancers using a shared component model was better than modeling them individually using bym model.