Regional, provider, and economic factors associated with the choice of active surveillance in the treatment of men with localized prostate cancer.

Data on initial treatment of 8232 cases of localized prostate cancer diagnosed in 2004 were obtained by medical record abstraction (including hospital and outpatient locations) from seven state cancer registries participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Breast and Prostate Cancer Data Quality and Patterns of Care Study. Distinction was made between men receiving no therapy with no monitoring plan (no therapy/no plan [NT/NP]) and those receiving active surveillance (AS). Overall, 8.

The impact of National Death Index linkages on population-based cancer survival rates in the United States.

Background: In order to ensure accurate survival estimates, population-based cancer registries must ascertain all, or nearly all, patients diagnosed with cancer in their catchment area, and obtain complete follow-up information on all deaths that occurred among registered cancer patients. In the US, linkage with state death records may not be sufficient to ascertain all deaths. Since 1979, all state vital statistics offices have reported their death certificate information to the National Death Index (NDI).

Using a statistical process control chart during the quality assessment of cancer registry data.

Statistical process control (SPC) charts may be used to detect acute variations in the data while simultaneously evaluating unforeseen aberrations that may warrant further investigation by the data user. Using cancer stage data captured by the Summary Stage 2000 (SS2000) variable, we sought to present a brief report highlighting the utility of the SPC chart during the quality assessment of cancer registry data. Using a county-level caseload for the diagnosis period of 2001-2004 (n=25,648), we found the overall variation of the SS2000 variable to be in control during diagnosis years of 2001 and 2002, exceeded the lower control limit (LCL) in 2003, and exceeded the upper control limit (UCL) in 2004; in situ/localized stages were in control throughout the diagnosis period, regional stage exceeded UCL in 2004, and distant stage exceeded the LCL in 2001 and the UCL in 2004.

Quality of cancer registry data: findings from CDC-NPCR's Breast and Prostate Cancer Data Quality and Patterns of Care Study.

Background: The Breast and Prostate Cancer Data Quality and Patterns of Care (POC-BP) Study enabled a reabstraction study of the quality of population-based, central cancer registry data on the characteristics and initial treatment of breast cancer in females and prostate cancer in the United States.

Methods: Stratified random samples of 9,103 female breast cancers and 8,995 prostate cancers were available for the analysis, using the independently reabstracted data as the gold standard to compute measurements of agreement.

Results: A slight majority (53% [8/15]) of the cancer site and treatment combinations showed kappa statistics > or = 0.

Impact of using multiple causes of death codes to compute site-specific, death certificate-based cancer mortality statistics in the United States.

Background: Cancer mortality statistics, an important indicator for monitoring cancer burden, are traditionally restricted to instances when cancer is determined to be the underlying cause of death (UCD) based on information recorded on standard certificates of death. This study's objective was to determine the impact of using multiple causes of death codes to compute site-specific cancer mortality statistics.

Methods: The state cancer registries of California, Colorado and Idaho provided linked cancer registry and death certificate data for individuals who died between 2002 and 2004, had at least one cancer listed on their death certificate and were diagnosed with cancer between 1993 and 2004.

Effect of misclassified underlying cause of death on survival estimates of colon and rectal cancer.

Inaccurate coding of patients' Underlying Cause of Death (UCOD) has constrained cause-specific survival estimates for colon and rectal cancers. Using California data from the Accuracy of Cancer Mortality study, we compared the cancer site data from the California Cancer Registry (CCR) with UCODs reported on death certificates and reclassified the UCODs based on cancer registry data when they disagreed. We then calculated 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year cause-specific survival for colon and rectal cancers separately, before and after the reclassification.

Variability in cancer death certificate accuracy by characteristics of death certifiers.

Death certificates are the source for mortality statistics and are used to set public health goals. Accurate death certificates are vital in tracking outcomes of cancer. Deaths may be certified by physicians or other medical professionals, coroners, or medical examiners.

Surveillance of screening-detected cancers (colon and rectum, breast, and cervix) - United States, 2004-2006.

Problem/condition: Population-based screening is conducted to detect diseases or other conditions in persons before symptoms appear; effective screening leads to early detection and treatment, thereby reducing disease-associated morbidity and mortality. Based on systematic reviews of the evidence of the benefits and harms and assessments of the net benefit of screening, the U.S.

The accuracy of cancer mortality statistics based on death certificates in the United States.

Background: One measure of the accuracy of cancer mortality statistics is the concordance between cancer defined as the underlying cause of death from death certificates and cancer diagnoses recorded in central, population-based cancer registries. Previous studies of such concordance are outdated.

Objective: To characterize the accuracy of cancer mortality statistics from the concordance between cancer cause of death and primary cancer site at diagnosis.

Rapid-learning system for cancer care.

Compelling public interest is propelling national efforts to advance the evidence base for cancer treatment and control measures and to transform the way in which evidence is aggregated and applied. Substantial investments in health information technology, comparative effectiveness research, health care quality and value, and personalized medicine support these efforts and have resulted in considerable progress to date. An emerging initiative, and one that integrates these converging approaches to improving health care, is "rapid-learning health care.

Factors associated with initial treatment and survival for clinically localized prostate cancer: results from the CDC-NPCR Patterns of Care Study (PoC1).

Background: Despite the large number of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, there is as yet no consensus concerning appropriate treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe the initial treatment patterns for localized prostate cancer in a population-based sample and to determine the clinical and patient characteristics associated with initial treatment and overall survival.

Methods: The analysis included 3,300 patients from seven states, diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer in 1997.

Incidence of testicular cancer in the United States, 1999-2004.

Testicular cancer is rare but primarily affects young men. To characterize the current incidence of testicular cancer in the United States, U.S.

Burden of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis in the United States, 1998-2003.

Background: Invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis is rare in the United States. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is an established etiologic agent in at least 40% of penile SCCs, relatively little is known about the epidemiology of this malignancy.

Methods: Population-based data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program for Cancer Registries, and the National Center for Health Statistics were used to examine invasive penile SCC incidence and mortality in the United States.

Prostate cancer incidence among American Indian and Alaska Native men, US, 1999-2004.

Background: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) men experience lower incidence of prostate cancer than other race/ethnic populations in the US, but racial misclassification of AI/AN men threatens the validity of these estimates. To the authors' knowledge, little is known concerning prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in AI/AN men.

Methods: The authors linked cancer registry data with Indian Health Service enrollment records to improve race classification.

Case completeness and data accuracy in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries.

Background: Issues of case completeness (CC) and data quality within the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)-Cancer Surveillance System (NPCR-CSS) are assessed in part by the NPCR Technical Assistance and Audit Program (NPCR-TAA). In addition, the NPCR Annual Program Evaluation Instrument (NPCR-APEI) provides information about NPCR-supported central cancer registries (CCRs). The current report includes a unique, national-level analysis of NPCR-TAA results linked with NPCR-APEI data and other covariates.

Obesity is negatively associated with prostate-specific antigen in U.S. men, 2001-2004.

Background: Recent studies have shown a negative association between body mass index (BMI) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a commonly used serum marker for the detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. We have examined the association between several anthropometric measures and PSA in a nationally representative sample of men.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.