Abstract
In order to assess the benefits and limitations of pathology databases to cancer registries, computerised pathology records of malignant neoplasms diagnosed during 1992 were obtained for a defined area of Scotland for which pathology data were not routinely being used for cancer registration. Apparently 'missed' cancer registrations were identified by computerised probability matching with cancer registration records and their eligibility for registration was determined by reference to medical records, or when these were unavailable, by reference to the text of the original pathology report in conjunction with the local Community Health Index (to establish residency at the time of diagnosis). Misclassifications of site or incidence year were not regarded as 'missed' cases. Of 218 apparently 'missed' cancer registrations identified from computerised pathology records, 133 (5.7% of the revised total number of registrations for the study area in 1992) should have been registered. A further 14 cases were already registered but with misclassified site, morphology and/or behaviour codes. Ascertainment of cases by the Scottish Cancer Registration Scheme seems to be high for most sites. Pathology databases represent a useful additional source of cases but the fact that 71 apparently 'missed' cases were found to be ineligible for registration as independent primary malignant neoplasms suggests that unverified computerised pathology data should not be used uncritically nor independently for cancer registration purposes.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Brewster D., Crichton J., Muir C. How accurate are Scottish cancer registration data? Br J Cancer. 1994 Nov;70(5):954–959. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1994.428. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brewster D. Improving the quality of cancer registration data. J R Soc Med. 1995 May;88(5):268–271. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Joslin C. A. National cancer control and cancer registration. Br J Cancer. 1990 Dec;62(6):882–882. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1990.401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kee F., Gorman D., Odling-Smee W. Confidence intervals and interval cancers ... needles and haystacks? Public Health. 1992 Jan;106(1):29–35. doi: 10.1016/s0033-3506(05)80326-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kendrick S., Clarke J. The Scottish Record Linkage System. Health Bull (Edinb) 1993 Mar;51(2):72–79. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lapham R., Waugh N. R. An audit of the quality of cancer registration data. Br J Cancer. 1992 Sep;66(3):552–554. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1992.312. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Muir C. S., Percy C. Cancer registration: principles and methods. Classification and coding of neoplasms. IARC Sci Publ. 1991;(95):64–81. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]