Validating Cancer Histories in Deceased Relatives

Background: A family history of cancer is a marker of familially shared genetic and environmental risk factors for cancer but is subject to inaccurate and biased reporting. Methods: In a case-control study of adult acute leukemia, we examined the accuracy of cancer reports in deceased first-degree r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2005-03, Vol.16 (2), p.262-265
Main Authors: Rauscher, Garth H., Sandler, Dale P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Disease
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Breast cancer
Brief Reports
Cancer
Case control studies
Cause of Death
Death Certificates
Epidemiology
Family history
Female
Humans
Leukemia
Leukemia - genetics
Male
Medical History Taking - standards
Medical sciences
Mental Recall
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Nondestructive testing
Patient medical history
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Registries - statistics & numerical data
Reproducibility of Results
Risk Factors
Search strategies
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Summary:Background: A family history of cancer is a marker of familially shared genetic and environmental risk factors for cancer but is subject to inaccurate and biased reporting. Methods: In a case-control study of adult acute leukemia, we examined the accuracy of cancer reports in deceased first-degree relatives using death certificates and the National Death Index (NDI). We submitted information on 1058 deceased relatives to the NDI or civil vital statistics registries. Social security numbers were not available and identifying information was incomplete. Results: A death certificate was located for 70% of records sent to state registries but for only 32% of records submitted to the NDI. Death certificates confirmed 95% of relatives reported to be cancerfree and 83% of those reported to have any form of cancer. Confirmation of cancer of specific sites ranged from 50% for breast cancer and 54% for leukemia to 86% for prostate cancer. Conclusions: State searches may be preferable to the NDI when identifying information is incomplete.
ISSN:1044-3983
1531-5487
DOI:10.1097/01.ede.0000152521.18215.eb