In the absence of cancer registry data, is it sensible to assess incidence using hospital separation records?

Table 3 VIHA cancer registry and hospital cancer separations, count of all records.

Registry	All Cancers	Lung	Colorectal	Female Breast	Prostate
1990–1999	34,023	4,505	4,379	5,101	5,613
1990	2,830	388	392	415	496
1991	3,133	423	390	498	545
1992	3,241	457	415	459	574
1993	3,555	454	429	467	718
1994	3,271	408	461	495	532
1995	3,290	461	409	483	419
1996	3,510	469	446	568	529
1997	3,691	486	486	590	572
1998	3,627	460	475	557	559
1999	3,875	499	476	569	669
Hospital	All Cancers	Lung	Colorectal	Female Breast	Prostate
1990–1999	60,255	7,362	6,216	6,341	7,660
1990	6,260	857	610	578	942
1991	6,382	911	580	664	913
1992	6,432	895	573	660	1,024
1993	6,533	844	617	592	998
1994	5,892	643	625	631	719
1995	5,797	699	578	627	593
1996	5,733	685	580	682	584
1997	5,975	677	682	646	628
1998	5,636	576	665	619	620
1999	5,615	575	706	642	639

Cancer registry counts include all incident primary cancers reported to the registry, excluding C44, non-melanoma skin cancer. Hospital cancer separations include all separations with principal diagnoses as ICD-9 code 140 through 208, excluding 173, non-melanoma skin cancer, and excluding chemotherapy and radiotherapy separations.

ISSN: 1475-9276