title: Prostate cancer treatment ascertained from several sources: analysis of disagreement and error.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment data for prostate cancer can be obtained from a variety of sources. Each of these sources has its own strengths and weaknesses and is subject to error.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a population-based cohort of 319 prostate cancer patients, data on treatment were obtained from five sources: two patient interviews at 6 and 12 months after diagnosis, primary caregiver interviews, physician questionnaires, and medical records. Inter-reporting agreement and accuracy of reporting (compared with medical records) were assessed. Multivariate analyses examined patient, caregiver, and physician characteristics as determinants of reporting error.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The agreement among different reporting methods was generally good to excellent for prostatectomy and brachytherapy (kappa range 0.70-0.90) and fair to good (kappa range 0.35-0.75) for external beam radiation and hormonal treatment. Compared with medical records, the interview- and questionnaire-based data collection methods were more accurate for prostatectomy and brachytherapy than for external beam radiation and hormonal therapy. Using medical records as the 'gold standard', patient and caregiver interviews at 6 months after the diagnosis had higher sensitivity and specificity than other reporting sources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interviews of prostate cancer patients and caregivers are useful alternatives to medical record abstraction, particularly if carried out during, or soon after, treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health; Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry; Departments of. Electronic address: mgoodm2@sph.emory.edu.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Steenland
authors.affiliation: Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry; Departments of.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Almon
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health; Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry; Departments of.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Liff
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Dilorio
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: D U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Ekwueme
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: J Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Master
authors.affiliation: Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition, Albany, USA.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients; D010820:Physicians; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires