Artikel
A Novel Approach to Estimate the Population-based Incidence of Testicular Cancer in Germany
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Autoren
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Andreas Stang
- Institut für Klinische Epidemiologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle
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Alexander Katalinic
- Institut für Krebsepidemiologie, Lübeck
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Roland Stabenow
- Common Cancer Registry of the Federal States of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen-Anhalt, and the Free States of Sachsen and Thüringen (GKR), Berlin
| Veröffentlicht: | 2. September 2009 |
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Gliederung
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Introduction: Nationwide DRG hospitalization data may provide a data source for the estimation of testicular cancer incidence. As orchiectomy for testicular cancer is the standard therapy undertaken in hospitals, a hospitalization with a diagnosis of testicular cancer and a treatment by orchiectomy indicates an incident testicular cancer. The aim of this study is to provide a novel approach to estimate the testicular cancer incidence in Germany by using the nationwide hospitalization data (DRG statistics) of the years 2005-2006.
Methods: We analyzed the DRG statistics (individual files) of the years 2005 and 2006 including 36.3 million hospitalizations. For each hospitalization, one main diagnosis and up to 99 secondary or ancillary diagnoses coded by ICD-10 could be documented. In addition, up to 99 secondary diagnoses could be coded. Up to 100 medical procedures can be coded according to German classification of operations and procedures (OPS). The unit of analysis was the hospital admission with a diagnosis of testicular cancer and an orchiectomy.
Results: A total of 39.148 hospitalizations occurred with a diagnosis (not necessarily main diagnosis) of testicular cancer (0,24%). A proportion of 22% (N=8.603) of these hospitalizations also contained a surgical code for orchiectomy indicating incident testicular cancer cases. Incidence estimates by Federal State as based on the DRG statistics tend to be higher than those based on the population-based cancer registries. The ratio of the number of registered cases (cancer registry) to the estimated number of cases based on the hospitalization statistics ranged between 81% (Sachsen-Anhalt) and 100% (Schleswig-Holstein).
Discussion: In contrast to incidence estimates of the population-based cancer registries, the DRG-based incidence estimates are quite homogeneous. The difference of age-standardized incidences (European standard population) between the Federal State with the highest (Niedersachsen, 11,4 per 100.000) and the lowest incidence rates (Hamburg, 8,9 per 100.000) is only 2,5 per 100.000.
