Consistency of recording of chemotherapy cycles in the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy database and the Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care database

Future Oncol. 2020 Jan;16(3):4455-4460. doi: 10.2217/fon-2019-0669. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

Abstract

Aim: We assessed the extent to which chemotherapy cycles recorded in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) Admitted Patient Care (APC) were captured in National Cancer Registration & Analysis Service Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) for a cohort of lung cancer patients. Methods: All chemotherapy cycles recorded for linkage eligible lung cancer patients with a National Cancer Registration & Analysis Service diagnosis between 2012 and 2015 were identified in HES APC and SACT. Results: Among a population of 4070 lung cancer patients, 6076 chemotherapy cycles were observed in HES APC data. A total of 61% of cycles were recorded in SACT on the same day, 8% on a different day and 31% were not recorded in SACT. Conclusion: Our results suggest that SACT may not capture all chemotherapy cycles administered to a patient between 2012 and 2016; however, administrative changes mean data after this period may be more complete.

Keywords: HES; NCRAS; SACT; United Kingdom; cancer; chemotherapy; epidemiology; recording; registry.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Data Management / standards
  • Data Management / statistics & numerical data*
  • Databases, Factual / standards
  • Databases, Factual / statistics & numerical data*
  • Datasets as Topic
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • England
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Registries / standards
  • Registries / statistics & numerical data*
  • State Medicine / statistics & numerical data