Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee

Emma L. Turner; Chris Metcalfe; Jenny L. Donovan; Sian Noble; Jonathan A.C. Sterne; J. Athene Lane; Eleanor I. Walsh; Elizabeth M. Hill; Liz Down; Yoav Ben-Shlomo; Steven E. Oliver; Simon Evans; Peter Brindle; Naomi J. Williams; Laura J. Hughes; Charlotte F. Davies; Siaw Yein Ng; David E. Neal; Freddie C. Hamdy; Peter Albertsen; Colette M. Reid; Jon Oxley; John McFarlane; Mary C. Robinson; Jan Adolfsson; Anthony Zietman; Michael Baum; Anthony Koupparis; Richard M. Martin

doi:10.1038/bjc.2016.162

Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee

Emma L. Turner, Chris Metcalfe, Jenny L. Donovan, Sian Noble, Jonathan A.C. Sterne, J. Athene Lane, Eleanor I. Walsh, Elizabeth M. Hill, Liz Down, Yoav Ben-Shlomo, Steven E. Oliver, Simon Evans, Peter Brindle, Naomi J. Williams, Laura J. Hughes, Charlotte F. Davies, Siaw Yein Ng, David E. Neal, Freddie C. Hamdy, Peter AlbertsenColette M. Reid, Jon Oxley, John McFarlane, Mary C. Robinson, Jan Adolfsson, Anthony Zietman, Michael Baum, Anthony Koupparis, Richard M. Martin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Accurate cause of death assignment is crucial for prostate cancer epidemiology and trials reporting prostate cancer-specific mortality outcomes. Methods: We compared death certificate information with independent cause of death evaluation by an expert committee within a prostate cancer trial (2002-2015). Results: Of 1236 deaths assessed, expert committee evaluation attributed 523 (42%) to prostate cancer, agreeing with death certificate cause of death in 1134 cases (92%, 95% CI: 90%, 93%). The sensitivity of death certificates in identifying prostate cancer deaths as classified by the committee was 91% (95% CI: 89%, 94%); specificity was 92% (95% CI: 90%, 94%). Sensitivity and specificity were lower where death occurred within 1 year of diagnosis, and where there was another primary cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: UK death certificates accurately identify cause of death in men with prostate cancer, supporting their use in routine statistics. Possible differential misattribution by trial arm supports independent evaluation in randomised trials.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	90-94
Number of pages	5
Journal	British Journal of Cancer
Volume	115
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2016.162
State	Published - Jun 28 2016
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

cause of death
cluster randomised controlled trial
death certification
prostate cancer
prostate cancer mortality
screening
sensitivity
specificity

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Turner, E. L., Metcalfe, C., Donovan, J. L., Noble, S., Sterne, J. A. C., Lane, J. A., Walsh, E. I., Hill, E. M., Down, L., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Oliver, S. E., Evans, S., Brindle, P., Williams, N. J., Hughes, L. J., Davies, C. F., Ng, S. Y., Neal, D. E., Hamdy, F. C., ... Martin, R. M. (2016). Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee. British Journal of Cancer, 115(1), 90-94. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2016.162

@article{054e64e6047d4054b9cc4269791c7696,

title = "Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee",

abstract = "Background: Accurate cause of death assignment is crucial for prostate cancer epidemiology and trials reporting prostate cancer-specific mortality outcomes. Methods: We compared death certificate information with independent cause of death evaluation by an expert committee within a prostate cancer trial (2002-2015). Results: Of 1236 deaths assessed, expert committee evaluation attributed 523 (42%) to prostate cancer, agreeing with death certificate cause of death in 1134 cases (92%, 95% CI: 90%, 93%). The sensitivity of death certificates in identifying prostate cancer deaths as classified by the committee was 91% (95% CI: 89%, 94%); specificity was 92% (95% CI: 90%, 94%). Sensitivity and specificity were lower where death occurred within 1 year of diagnosis, and where there was another primary cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: UK death certificates accurately identify cause of death in men with prostate cancer, supporting their use in routine statistics. Possible differential misattribution by trial arm supports independent evaluation in randomised trials.",

keywords = "cause of death, cluster randomised controlled trial, death certification, prostate cancer, prostate cancer mortality, screening, sensitivity, specificity",

author = "Turner, {Emma L.} and Chris Metcalfe and Donovan, {Jenny L.} and Sian Noble and Sterne, {Jonathan A.C.} and Lane, {J. Athene} and Walsh, {Eleanor I.} and Hill, {Elizabeth M.} and Liz Down and Yoav Ben-Shlomo and Oliver, {Steven E.} and Simon Evans and Peter Brindle and Williams, {Naomi J.} and Hughes, {Laura J.} and Davies, {Charlotte F.} and Ng, {Siaw Yein} and Neal, {David E.} and Hamdy, {Freddie C.} and Peter Albertsen and Reid, {Colette M.} and Jon Oxley and John McFarlane and Robinson, {Mary C.} and Jan Adolfsson and Anthony Zietman and Michael Baum and Anthony Koupparis and Martin, {Richard M.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Cancer Research UK.",

year = "2016",

month = jun,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1038/bjc.2016.162",

language = "Ingl{\'e}s",

volume = "115",

pages = "90--94",

journal = "British Journal of Cancer",

issn = "0007-0920",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "1",

}

Turner, EL, Metcalfe, C, Donovan, JL, Noble, S, Sterne, JAC, Lane, JA, Walsh, EI, Hill, EM, Down, L, Ben-Shlomo, Y, Oliver, SE, Evans, S, Brindle, P, Williams, NJ, Hughes, LJ, Davies, CF, Ng, SY, Neal, DE, Hamdy, FC, Albertsen, P, Reid, CM, Oxley, J, McFarlane, J, Robinson, MC, Adolfsson, J, Zietman, A, Baum, M, Koupparis, A & Martin, RM 2016, 'Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee', British Journal of Cancer, vol. 115, no. 1, pp. 90-94. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2016.162

Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee. / Turner, Emma L.; Metcalfe, Chris; Donovan, Jenny L. et al.
In: British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 115, No. 1, 28.06.2016, p. 90-94.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death

T2 - Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee

AU - Turner, Emma L.

AU - Metcalfe, Chris

AU - Donovan, Jenny L.

AU - Noble, Sian

AU - Sterne, Jonathan A.C.

AU - Lane, J. Athene

AU - Walsh, Eleanor I.

AU - Hill, Elizabeth M.

AU - Down, Liz

AU - Ben-Shlomo, Yoav

AU - Oliver, Steven E.

AU - Evans, Simon

AU - Brindle, Peter

AU - Williams, Naomi J.

AU - Hughes, Laura J.

AU - Davies, Charlotte F.

AU - Ng, Siaw Yein

AU - Neal, David E.

AU - Hamdy, Freddie C.

AU - Albertsen, Peter

AU - Reid, Colette M.

AU - Oxley, Jon

AU - McFarlane, John

AU - Robinson, Mary C.

AU - Adolfsson, Jan

AU - Zietman, Anthony

AU - Baum, Michael

AU - Koupparis, Anthony

AU - Martin, Richard M.

PY - 2016/6/28

Y1 - 2016/6/28

N2 - Background: Accurate cause of death assignment is crucial for prostate cancer epidemiology and trials reporting prostate cancer-specific mortality outcomes. Methods: We compared death certificate information with independent cause of death evaluation by an expert committee within a prostate cancer trial (2002-2015). Results: Of 1236 deaths assessed, expert committee evaluation attributed 523 (42%) to prostate cancer, agreeing with death certificate cause of death in 1134 cases (92%, 95% CI: 90%, 93%). The sensitivity of death certificates in identifying prostate cancer deaths as classified by the committee was 91% (95% CI: 89%, 94%); specificity was 92% (95% CI: 90%, 94%). Sensitivity and specificity were lower where death occurred within 1 year of diagnosis, and where there was another primary cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: UK death certificates accurately identify cause of death in men with prostate cancer, supporting their use in routine statistics. Possible differential misattribution by trial arm supports independent evaluation in randomised trials.

AB - Background: Accurate cause of death assignment is crucial for prostate cancer epidemiology and trials reporting prostate cancer-specific mortality outcomes. Methods: We compared death certificate information with independent cause of death evaluation by an expert committee within a prostate cancer trial (2002-2015). Results: Of 1236 deaths assessed, expert committee evaluation attributed 523 (42%) to prostate cancer, agreeing with death certificate cause of death in 1134 cases (92%, 95% CI: 90%, 93%). The sensitivity of death certificates in identifying prostate cancer deaths as classified by the committee was 91% (95% CI: 89%, 94%); specificity was 92% (95% CI: 90%, 94%). Sensitivity and specificity were lower where death occurred within 1 year of diagnosis, and where there was another primary cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: UK death certificates accurately identify cause of death in men with prostate cancer, supporting their use in routine statistics. Possible differential misattribution by trial arm supports independent evaluation in randomised trials.

KW - cause of death

KW - cluster randomised controlled trial

KW - death certification

KW - prostate cancer

KW - prostate cancer mortality

KW - screening

KW - sensitivity

KW - specificity

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84973137297&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/bjc.2016.162

DO - 10.1038/bjc.2016.162

M3 - Artículo

C2 - 27253172

AN - SCOPUS:84973137297

SN - 0007-0920

VL - 115

SP - 90

EP - 94

JO - British Journal of Cancer

JF - British Journal of Cancer

IS - 1

ER -

Turner EL, Metcalfe C, Donovan JL, Noble S, Sterne JAC, Lane JA et al. Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee. British Journal of Cancer. 2016 Jun 28;115(1):90-94. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2016.162

Contemporary accuracy of death certificates for coding prostate cancer as a cause of death: Is reliance on death certification good enough? A comparison with blinded review by an independent cause of death evaluation committee

Abstract

Keywords

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