Rachel Zeig-Owens1, Andrea Kablanian2, Mayris P Webber3, Yang Liu3, Edward Mayerson2, Theresa Schwartz3, Nadia Jaber2, Kerry J Kelly2, David J Prezant4. 1. Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Bronx, NY; Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, Brooklyn, NY. 2. Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, Brooklyn, NY. 3. Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, Brooklyn, NY; Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Division of Epidemiology, Bronx, NY. 4. Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, Brooklyn, NY; Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Bronx, NY.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Because of the delay in availability of cancer diagnoses from state cancer registries, self-reported diagnoses may be valuable in assessing the current cancer burden in many populations. We evaluated agreement between self-reported cancer diagnoses and state cancer registry-confirmed diagnoses among 21,437 firefighters and emergency medical service workers from the Fire Department of the City of New York. We also investigated the association between World Trade Center (WTC) exposure and other characteristics in relation to accurate reporting of cancer diagnoses. METHODS: Participants self-reported cancer status in questionnaires from October 2, 2001, to December 31, 2011. We obtained data on confirmed cancer diagnoses from nine state cancer registries, which we used as our gold standard. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), comparing self-reported cancer diagnoses with confirmed cancer diagnoses. We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess the association between WTC exposure and correct self-report of cancer status, false-positive cancer reports, and false-negative cancer reports. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity for all cancers combined were 90.3% and 98.7%, respectively. Specificities and NPVs remained high in different cancer types, while sensitivities and PPVs varied considerably. WTC exposure was not associated with accurate reporting. CONCLUSION: We found high specificities, NPVs, and general concordance between self-reported cancer diagnoses and registry-confirmed diagnoses. Given the low population prevalence of cancer, self-reported cancer diagnoses may be useful for determining non-cancer cases. Because of the low sensitivities and PPVs for some individual cancers, however, case confirmation with state cancer registries or medical records remains critically important.
OBJECTIVES: Because of the delay in availability of cancer diagnoses from state cancer registries, self-reported diagnoses may be valuable in assessing the current cancer burden in many populations. We evaluated agreement between self-reported cancer diagnoses and state cancer registry-confirmed diagnoses among 21,437 firefighters and emergency medical service workers from the Fire Department of the City of New York. We also investigated the association between World Trade Center (WTC) exposure and other characteristics in relation to accurate reporting of cancer diagnoses. METHODS:Participants self-reported cancer status in questionnaires from October 2, 2001, to December 31, 2011. We obtained data on confirmed cancer diagnoses from nine state cancer registries, which we used as our gold standard. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), comparing self-reported cancer diagnoses with confirmed cancer diagnoses. We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess the association between WTC exposure and correct self-report of cancer status, false-positive cancer reports, and false-negative cancer reports. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity for all cancers combined were 90.3% and 98.7%, respectively. Specificities and NPVs remained high in different cancer types, while sensitivities and PPVs varied considerably. WTC exposure was not associated with accurate reporting. CONCLUSION: We found high specificities, NPVs, and general concordance between self-reported cancer diagnoses and registry-confirmed diagnoses. Given the low population prevalence of cancer, self-reported cancer diagnoses may be useful for determining non-cancer cases. Because of the low sensitivities and PPVs for some individual cancers, however, case confirmation with state cancer registries or medical records remains critically important.
Authors: Jessica Weakley; Mayris P Webber; Fen Ye; Rachel Zeig-Owens; Hillel W Cohen; Charles B Hall; Kerry Kelly; David J Prezant Journal: Am J Ind Med Date: 2014-10 Impact factor: 2.214
Authors: Rachel Zeig-Owens; Mayris P Webber; Charles B Hall; Theresa Schwartz; Nadia Jaber; Jessica Weakley; Thomas E Rohan; Hillel W Cohen; Olga Derman; Thomas K Aldrich; Kerry Kelly; David J Prezant Journal: Lancet Date: 2011-09-03 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Jessica Weakley; Mayris P Webber; Fen Ye; Rachel Zeig-Owens; Hillel W Cohen; Charles B Hall; Kerry Kelly; David J Prezant Journal: Prev Med Date: 2013-04-16 Impact factor: 4.018
Authors: Venurs Loh; Jessica Harding; Vira Koshkina; Elizabeth Barr; Jonathan Shaw; Dianna Magliano Journal: Aust N Z J Public Health Date: 2014-02 Impact factor: 2.939
Authors: David F Warner; Nicholas K Schiltz; Kurt C Stange; Charles W Given; Cynthia Owusu; Nathan A Berger; Siran M Koroukian Journal: Fam Med Community Health Date: 2017-07
Authors: Rachel Zeig-Owens; David G Goldfarb; David J Prezant; Ola Landgren; Benjamin J Luft; Xiaohua Yang; Kazunori Murata; Lakshmi Ramanathan; Katie Thoren; Sital Doddi; Urvi A Shah; Alexandra K Mueller; Charles B Hall; Orsi Giricz; Amit Verma Journal: Blood Cancer J Date: 2022-08-22 Impact factor: 9.812