The population-based oncological health care study OVIS – recruitment of the patients and analysis of the non-participants
2008

OVIS Study: Understanding Cancer Care in Schleswig-Holstein

Sample size: 4285 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Pritzkuleit Ron, Waldmann Annika, Raspe Heiner, Katalinic Alexander

Primary Institution: Institute of Cancer Epidemiology of the University of Luebeck

Hypothesis

Can population-based cancer registry data be used to conduct representative research on cancer care?

Conclusion

The study found that population-based cancer registry data is a valuable resource for understanding differences between participants and non-participants in cancer care research.

Supporting Evidence

  • 11,489 patients were registered in the Cancer Registry during the study period.
  • 5,354 patients consented to participate, with 4,285 completing the questionnaire.
  • Participants with breast or prostate cancer were found to be slightly younger and had smaller tumors than non-participants.

Takeaway

This study looked at cancer patients in Schleswig-Holstein to see how well they represent the overall population. It found that the data from cancer registries can help researchers understand patient care better.

Methodology

A population-based cohort study using data from the Cancer Registry and a postal questionnaire sent to eligible patients.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the exclusion of deceased patients and differences in willingness to participate among different demographic groups.

Limitations

The study may have selection bias due to differences between participants and non-participants, particularly in age and tumor stage.

Participant Demographics

Participants included patients with malignant melanoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer, with a median age of 62.5 years for melanoma patients.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2407-8-311

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