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Population-based survivorship research using cancer registries: a study of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivors

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Abstract

Introduction

Several recent reports have recommended use of population-based cancer registries for evaluating the long-term health outcomes of cancer survivors. Drawing upon experiences from a study of survivors of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), we discuss conceptual and methodological challenges to and opportunities for conducting population-based survivorship research using cancer registries.

Materials and methods

Survivors of aggressive NHL diagnosed between June 1998 and August 2001, 2–5 years prior to the study, were sampled from the Los Angeles Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry. A conceptual framework was developed to systematically evaluate the association of sociodemographic, clinical, social, psychological, and behavioral factors with survivors’ health-related quality of life. Data were collected primarily by a mailed questionnaire; medical records were also abstracted.

Results

Of 744 eligible survivors identified from the registry, 181 (24.3%) were lost to follow-up; 408 responded to the questionnaire (54.8%); 155 (20.8%) refused. Those lost to follow-up included a significantly higher proportion of younger, male, and Hispanic survivors compared to the other two groups (P ≤ 0.01). There were no sociodemographic or clinical differences among the questionnaire respondents and survivors who refused study participation. Medical records were abstracted for 59.8% of the respondents. A high percentage of agreement was seen between survivors’ self-report and medical record documentation of key treatments and disease status (≥95% for survivors with complete records).

Conclusions

The cancer registry served as a valuable resource for recruiting one of the largest population-based samples of NHL survivors. The methodology and example of a conceptual framework utilized in this study provide a model for future population-based cancer survivorship research.

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Acknowledgment

The collection of cancer incidence data used in this study was supported by the California Department of Health Services (CADHS) as part of the statewide cancer reporting program mandated by California Health and Safety Code Section 103885; the National Cancer Institutes (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program under contract N01-PC-35139 awarded to the University of Southern California, and contract N02-PC-15105 awarded to the Public Health Institute (PHI); and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries, under agreement no. U55/CCR921930-02 awarded to the PHI. The ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and endorsement by the CADHS, the NCI, and the CDC or their contractors and subcontractors is not intended nor should be inferred.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 6130 Executive Blvd, MSC 7344, Executive Plaza North #4005, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7344, USA

    Neeraj K. Arora, Arnold L. Potosky, Julia H. Rowland, Noreen M. Aziz, Keith M. Bellizzi, Carrie N. Klabunde & Wendy McLaughlin

  2. Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Ann S. Hamilton

  3. Information Management Services, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA

    Jennifer Stevens

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  1. Neeraj K. Arora
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  2. Ann S. Hamilton
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Correspondence to Neeraj K. Arora.

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Arora, N.K., Hamilton, A.S., Potosky, A.L. et al. Population-based survivorship research using cancer registries: a study of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivors. J Cancer Surviv 1, 49–63 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-007-0004-3

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