Estimation of lung and bronchial cancer registry completeness via capture-recapture method using population-based cancer registry in Khuzestan province in 2011

Introduction Population-based cancer registry (PBCR) plays a significant role in burden of cancer estimation. Estimating the completeness of cancer registry is one of the criteria to assess the quality of data (results). Also, Capture-recapture is one of the methods used to assess completeness of cancer registry. Objective This study was aimed to estimate the completeness of lung and bronchial cancer registry using three-source capture-recapture method in Khuzestan province. Materials and methods This study was carried out using three-source capture-recapture method and data were obtained from three sources including medical records, death certificates and pathology labs (reports) in Khuzestan. In this study, total new cases of lung and bronchial cancer registered by the three sources in 2011, were enrolled. Among the sources, the common cases were identified and the completeness rate of lung and bronchial cancer registry was calculated by log-linear method using R software, finally. Results Totally, 426 new cases for lung cancer had reported from the three sources in 2011. The completeness index of lung cancer registry was totally estimated 72%, as well as it was independently 40%, 25% and 37.6% for the medical records, pathology reports and death certificates sources, respectively. Conclusion According to the results, after collection and remove repetition of the cases related to lung cancer, it should be added their number registered by the pathology (labs), medical records and death certificates sources by 28%–40%, to estimate actual incidence of lung cancer. Also, the actual incidence of lung cancer cases related to each of medical records, pathology and death certificates was calculated by adding the reported values by 60%, 75% and 63%, respectively.