Evaluation of data quality in the cancer registry: principles and methods Part II. Completeness

Eur J Cancer. 2009 Mar;45(5):756-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.11.033. Epub 2009 Jan 6.

Abstract

The completeness of cancer registry data -- the extent to which all of the incident cancers occurring in the population are included in the registry database -- is an extremely important attribute of a cancer registry. Only a high degree of completeness in case-finding procedures will ensure cancer incidence rates and survival proportions are close to their true value. This second instalment of a two-part review of data quality methods at the cancer registry, focuses on the principles and techniques available for estimating completeness, separating methods into those that are semi-quantitative -- in that they give an indication of the degree of completeness relative to other registries or over time, and more quantitative techniques -- those that provide a numerical evaluation of the extent to which all eligible cases have been registered.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Death Certificates
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Neoplasms / mortality
  • Quality Control
  • Registries / standards*
  • Registries / statistics & numerical data
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Research Design / standards