Examining the Completeness of Industry and Occupation Data Among Patients Newly Diagnosed with Cancer in North Carolina
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Occupational exposure to toxic substances has been associated with cancer. Including industry and occupation (I/O) in cancer surveillance can help identify potential links between occupational exposures and cancers using data already collected to monitor statewide cancer trends. I/O reporting is required in cancer registries and recently in death records. In this study, we examined the completeness of I/O information in North Carolina cancer and death certificate data. Methods: The North Carolina Central Cancer Registry (NC CCR) is the sole repository of North Carolina cancer incidence data. NC CCR (2020-2021) and death certificate data (2020-2022) were analyzed for completeness of I/O. NC CCR incidence records for 1995-2021 diagnoses were linked to North Carolina death files (2020-2022). Results: NC CCR data had I/O in 17% to 51% of the cases, depending on cancer type. I/O was included in 41% of 2020 death certificates and increased to a 99.9% inclusion in 2021 and 2022 death certificates. In 2020, 20,018 (18%) of 109,677 total deaths matched with a cancer record during NC CCR data linkage. In 2021, 20,225 (16%) of 119,237 total deaths matched with a cancer record, and in 2022, 20,367 (17%) of 116,406 total deaths matched to a cancer record. Limitations: Data presented here only examine the completeness of 10 cancer types that the NC CCR regularly analyzes using the most recent data available (2021). Conclusion: Health care providers should routinely record I/O using the standards explained in the training for providers on I/O data collection, provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and should increase their frequency of reporting I/O to NC CCR. Death certificate data may provide I/O data for individuals whose information is missing from cancer registry data.
Source: North Carolina Medical Journal
DOI: 10.18043/001c.121418
Authors: Kim Angelon-Gaetz, Osaremhen Ikhile, Howard R. D. Gordon, Melissa Pearson, Chandrika Rao
Institution: North Carolina Division of Public Health
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Awards: CK19-1904 EPIDEMIOLOGY AND LABORATORY CAPACITY FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES (ELC), NC CANCER PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAM FOR STATE, TERRITORIAL AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, NC B&C,NC CCCP, AND NC NPCR. - NORTH CAROLINA (NC) CANCER PREVENTION AND CONTROL BRANCH (CPCB) PROVIDES PROGRAMS AND SERVICES UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHRONIC DISEASE AND INJURY SECTION OF THE NC DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NC BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER CONTROL PROGRAM (NC BCCCP) BEGAN IN 1992 AND CONTINUES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED NC WOMEN. THE GOAL OF NC BCCCP IS TO REDUCE THE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF BREAST AND CERVICAL (BNC) CANCERS THROUGH EFFECTIVE SCREENING STRATEGIES FOR ELIGIBLE UNDERSERVED NC WOMEN BY PROVIDING (BNC) CANCER SCREENING SERVICES. OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS, NC BCCCP HAS SERVED 63,117 WOMEN FROM ALL 100 NC COUNTIES. THE PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED 51,596 MAMMOGRAMS AND 16,929 PAP SMEARS TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS DURING THE SAME PERIOD. NC BCCCP STAFF HAS SUPPORTED LOCAL PROVIDERS THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING WITH TRAININGS, ROUTINE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND IN PERSON MONITORING VISITS TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF SERVICES DELIVERED TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND TO ENSURE PROGRAM DELIVERABLES ARE MET. BETWEEN 2015 AND 2020, 684 BREAST CANCERS AND 312 CERVICAL CANCERS WERE DETECTED THROUGH OUR PROGRAM. BEFORE 2020, NC STATE LAW RESTRICTED WOMEN WHO RECEIVED ALL SERVICES LEADING TO A DIAGNOSIS AT A NON-BCCCP PROVIDER SITE REMAIN INELIGIBLE FOR BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER MEDICAID (BCCM) TO COVER THEIR TREATMENT COSTS. AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2020, THE NC DIVISION OF HEALTH BENEFITS CHANGED THE BCCM PROVIDER DEFINITION AND NOW ALLOWS WOMEN WHO ARE DIAGNOSED BY A NON-BCCCP PROVIDER, AND WHO MEET ALL OTHER NC BCCCP ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR BCCM. NC COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CONTROL (CCCP) IS A PROGRAM WITHIN CPCB. THROUGH THE NC STATE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CONTROL 2020-2025 PLAN, WE WORK TO ENSURE A COMPREHENSIVE AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESS THE STATE’S CANCER BURDEN. CURRENTLY, THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, CCCP PROMOTES THE CANCER CONTINUUM OF CARE AND ENHANCE CANCER SURVIVORS' QUALITY OF LIFE AND REACH UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS WHO HAVE INC REASED CANCER RISK DUE TO HEALTH DISPARITIES. CCCP, THROUGH A MULTIFACETED APPROACH, USE PROGRAMMATIC AND PARTNER INITIATIVES TO EXPAND THE CANCER CONTROL AND PREVENTION EFFORTS THAT ADDRESS THE CANCER PLAN, NC PRIORITY CANCERS AND CDC’S PRIORITY AREAS. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL COMMUNITY CANCER NETWORKS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND RESOURCE SHARING BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY-CLINICAL LINKAGES, ADVANCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH SPONSORSHIPS TO INCREASE COMMUNITY DEMAND FOR CANCER SCREENING SERVICES. THE NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL CANCER REGISTRY (NC CCR) IS A STATEWIDE, POPULATION-BASED CANCER REGISTRY. ON AVERAGE, 80,000 CANCER DIAGNOSES ARE REPORTED ELECTRONICALLY FROM 121 HOSPITALS, 200 PHYSICIAN OFFICES AND 40 PATHOLOGY LABS EACH YEAR. THE CCR HAS CONSISTENTLY EXCEEDED NPCR’S NATIONAL DATA QUALITY AND ADVANCED NATIONAL DATA QUALITY STANDARDS FOR REPORTING, AND RECEIVED AWARDS OF REGISTRY OF DISTINCTION, REGISTRY OF EXCELLENCE AND U.S. CANCER STATISTICS, AND REGISTRY FOR SURVEILLANCE AND GOLD CERTIFICATION FOR 16 YEARS FROM NAACCR FOR TIMELY, COMPLETE AND HIGH-QUALITY DATA. CCR WILL CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY AND ONBOARD ADDITIONAL PATHOLOGY LABS AND PHYSICIAN OFFICES TO INCREASE THE FLOW OF ELECTRONIC DATA BY IMPLEMENTING DATA MODERNIZATION AND UTILIZATION OF CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY. CANCER DATA WILL BE LINKED WITH COVID-19 AND THE IMMUNIZATION REGISTRY DATA TO STUDY THE IMPACT ON DELIVERY OF CARE. CCR CONTINUES TO HAVE A ROBUST EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM TO KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGES IN CODING REQUIREMENTS, EDUCATE DATA REPORTERS AND STAFF TO ENSURE DATA REPORTED IS OF HIGH QUALITY. CCR WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE REPORTS ON PRIORITY AND HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS BY TO ADDRESS RACIAL DISPARITIES IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. THROUGH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS, CCR WILL SUPPORT
OpenAlex ID: W4401643176