Accuracy of coded cause of death data: a study based on primary liver cancer
We have investigated the level of agreement for cause of death data in 232 patients who died of primary liver cancer, based on National (Australia Bureau of Statistics) and State (Tasmanian Cancer Registry) data and independent medical practitioners. The agreement between the ABS and TCR was poor but between medical practitioners was strong, and intermediate for comparisons between practitioners and either agency. Overall, cause-specific survival time was similar across the TCR, ABS and medical practitioners; with a small difference observed regarding the type of liver cancer. As liver cancer is a low-survival cancer, such results may be different to cancers with better survival such as breast cancer. Utilisation of specialist clinician oversight might improve data cohesion and fidelity.