Completeness of Cancer and Death Follow-Up in England and Wales
Author Information
Author(s): M.M. Hawkins, A.J. Swerdlow
Primary Institution: Childhood Cancer Research Group, University of Oxford
Hypothesis
How complete is the follow-up of childhood cancer registrations and deaths through the NHS Central Register?
Conclusion
The NHS Central Register successfully notified a high proportion of childhood cancer registrations and deaths, but there were notable incompleteness issues.
Supporting Evidence
- 91.8% of childhood cancers were successfully notified to the CCRG.
- 95.8% of deaths were successfully notified to the CCRG.
- 12.5% of incident childhood cancers were not notified by the NHSCR.
- Incompleteness of registration of childhood cancers by regional cancer registries was estimated to be 4.7%.
- Failures in cancer notification occurred mainly between regional cancer registries and the NHSCR.
Takeaway
The NHS Central Register helps keep track of childhood cancer cases and deaths, but sometimes it misses some notifications.
Methodology
The study compared cancer and death notifications from the NHS Central Register with those from regional cancer registries and the national death registry.
Potential Biases
There may be regional variations in notification completeness, which could introduce bias.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on childhood cancers, and the findings may not apply to adult cancers.
Participant Demographics
Children diagnosed with cancer under the age of 15.
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