title: Rationale and design of the National Program of Cancer Registries' Breast, Colon, and Prostate Cancer Patterns of Care Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR), are collaborating with public health professionals from seven states and the District of Columbia to conduct the Patterns of Care study to assess the quality of cancer data and to determine whether stage-specific treatments are being carried out.
  
  
  METHODS
  To assess the quality and completeness of cancer care data in the United States, trained staff from the Patterns of Care study are abstracting medical records to obtain detailed clinical data on treatment, tumor characteristics, stage at diagnosis, and demographics of representative samples of patients diagnosed with breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Altogether staff from each of the eight participating cancer registries will abstract 500 cases of breast, prostate, and colon/rectum/anus cancer for the CONCORD study and an additional 150 cases of localized breast cancer, 100 cases of stage III colon cancer, and 100 cases of localized prostate cancer for the Patterns of Care study. Chi-square tests will be used to compare routine registry data with re-abstracted data. The investigators will use logistic regression techniques to describe the characteristics of patients with localized breast and prostate cancer and stage III colon cancer. Age, race, sex, type of insurance, and comorbidity will be examined as predictors of the use of those treatments that are consistent with consensus guidelines. The investigators plan to use data from the CONCORD study to determine whether treatment factors are the reason for the reported differences between relative survival rates in the United States and Europe.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from the methodology used in the Patterns of Care study will provide, for the first time, detailed information about the quality and completeness of stage and treatment data that are routinely collected by states participating in the NPCR. It will add significantly to our understanding of factors that determine receipt of treatment in compliance with established guidelines. As part of the CONCORD study, it will also examine differences in survival among cancer patients with breast, prostate, and colon/rectum/anus cancers in the United States and Europe.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Surveillance Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCHSTP/DHAP, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS E-47, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. kzm2@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McDavid
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schymura
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santilli
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Byers
authors.forename: C Brooke
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Nancy C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Schlag
authors.forename: Winny
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Roshala
authors.forename: Dottie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Darcy
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matanoski
authors.forename: Tiefu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bolick-Aldrich
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005791:Patient Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012042:Registries; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology