The Danish Testicular Cancer database.
OBJECTIVE
The nationwide Danish Testicular Cancer database consists of a retrospective research database (DaTeCa database) and a prospective clinical database (Danish Multidisciplinary Cancer Group [DMCG] DaTeCa database). The aim is to improve the quality of care for patients with testicular cancer (TC) in Denmark, that is, by identifying risk factors for relapse, toxicity related to treatment, and focusing on late effects.


METHODS
All Danish male patients with a histologically verified germ cell cancer diagnosis in the Danish Pathology Registry are included in the DaTeCa databases. Data collection has been performed from 1984 to 2007 and from 2013 onward, respectively.
The retrospective DaTeCa database contains detailed information with more than 300 variables related to histology, stage, treatment, relapses, pathology, tumor markers, kidney function, lung function, etc. A questionnaire related to late effects has been conducted, which includes questions regarding social relationships, life situation, general health status, family background, diseases, symptoms, use of medication, marital status, psychosocial issues, fertility, and sexuality. TC survivors alive on October 2014 were invited to fill in this questionnaire including 160 validated questions. Collection of questionnaires is still ongoing. A biobank including blood/sputum samples for future genetic analyses has been established. Both samples related to DaTeCa and DMCG DaTeCa database are included. The prospective DMCG DaTeCa database includes variables regarding histology, stage, prognostic group, and treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The DMCG DaTeCa database has existed since 2013 and is a young clinical database. It is necessary to extend the data collection in the prospective database in order to answer quality-related questions. Data from the retrospective database will be added to the prospective data. This will result in a large and very comprehensive database for future studies on TC patients.
Department of Oncology 5073, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.
Gedske
G
Daugaard
Department of Oncology 5073, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.
Maria Gry Gundgaard
MG
Kier
Department of Oncology 5073, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.
Mikkel
M
Bandak
Department of Oncology 5073, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.
Mette Saksø
MS
Mortensen
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus.
Heidi
H
Larsson
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus.
Mette
M
Søgaard
Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.
Birgitte Groenkaer
BG
Toft
Department of Pathology, Odense University Hospital, Odense.
Birte
B
Engvad
Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus.
Mads
M
Agerbæk
Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Niels Vilstrup
NV
Holm
Department of Oncology 5073, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.
Jakob
J
Lauritsen
DMCG DaTeCa database; DaTeCa; clinical indicators; database research; hypogonadism; testis cancer