CTR CTR Epidemiology & Cancer Statistics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which U.S. national program collects population-based cancer incidence and survival data from registries across the country?
- SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) (Correct answer)
- NCDB (National Cancer Database)
- CoC (Commission on Cancer)
- NPCR (National Program of Cancer Registries)
Correct answer: SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results)
SEER, maintained by NCI, is the premier population-based program collecting cancer incidence and survival data from geographically diverse U.S. registries.
Question 2: Cancer incidence rate is calculated per how many persons in standard epidemiologic reporting?
- 100,000 persons (Correct answer)
- 1,000 persons
- 10,000 persons
- 1,000,000 persons
Correct answer: 100,000 persons
Cancer incidence and mortality rates are conventionally expressed per 100,000 persons in the population to allow meaningful comparison across groups.
Question 3: What does age-adjusted (age-standardized) cancer rate allow researchers to do?
- Compare rates across populations with different age distributions (Correct answer)
- Calculate the number of new cases in one year
- Estimate a patient's individual cancer risk
- Determine the stage distribution of a cancer type
Correct answer: Compare rates across populations with different age distributions
Age-adjustment removes the confounding effect of age so that rates in populations with different age structures can be validly compared.
Question 4: The five-year relative survival rate compares observed survival of cancer patients to the survival of which comparison group?
- A matched general population of the same age, sex, and race (Correct answer)
- Patients with the same cancer who received no treatment
- All cancer patients in the registry regardless of type
- Hospital inpatients with chronic disease
Correct answer: A matched general population of the same age, sex, and race
Relative survival divides observed survival in cancer patients by expected survival in a demographically matched general population to isolate the cancer's impact.
Question 5: Which term describes the total number of persons living with a cancer diagnosis at a given point in time?
- Prevalence (Correct answer)
- Incidence
- Mortality
- Case fatality rate
Correct answer: Prevalence
Prevalence measures the total existing cancer case burden in a population at a specific time, combining new and existing survivors.
Question 6: NPCR, managed by the CDC, primarily funds which type of cancer registries?
- State and territorial central cancer registries (Correct answer)
- Hospital-based cancer registries only
- Veterans Affairs registries
- Private insurance cancer databases
Correct answer: State and territorial central cancer registries
NPCR provides funding and standards to state and territorial central cancer registries to ensure complete, high-quality population-based cancer data nationwide.
CTR CTR Epidemiology & Cancer Statistics 1
Which U.S. national program collects population-based cancer incidence and survival data from registries across the country?