Sensitivity of self-reports of cancer in a population-based prospective study: JPHC Study Cohort I.
The sensitivity of self-reports of cancer may differ among cultures, and not many studies have dealt with it. The authors measured the sensitivity of 615 individuals from the JPHC Study Cohort I in Japan who responded to a questionnaire in 1995 and had had a cancer registry report since 1990. Sensitivity as calculated using registered cancer as the gold standard was 0.36 for any cancer, but varied considerably by site: 0.81, 0.42, 0.41, 0.26, 0.14 and 0.08 for breast, uterus, stomach, lung, colorectum and liver, respectively. This sensitivity by site relates positively with the cancer incidence/death ratio (an index of prognosis) of each site. A false name was reported in 71% of colorectal cancer cases (namely polyp) and in 51% of stomach cases (ulcer and/or polyp). In conclusion, the sensitivity of self-reports of cancer was much lower in this cohort than in the US results except for breast cancer.
Yoshinaga
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Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa 277-8577, Japan.
Sasaki
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Tsugane
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D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires