Last updated: January 2023

Author: Vermont Cancer Registry Program, Vermont Department of Health

Cancer Registry data have been compliant with this National Data Quality Standard for every year that CDC has evaluated the registry. The up and down variation of the curve is not significant. If the <3% standard is met, the data may be used for analysis and publication.

For Vermont Cancer Registry data to be complete and accurate, all information must be collected from various sources, reviewed, edited, and de-duplicated. A comparison between the Cancer Registry and the Vermont mortality database must be conducted as a final means to identify reportable cancer cases overlooked by other casefinding protocols. Death certificates with a mention of cancer for individuals not included in the Cancer Registry are researched to determine whether cases are reportable and should be included in the registry.

While cases identified through death certificate only are necessary to improve Cancer Registry completeness, the information is often limited. Therefore, a lower percentage of this type of case indicates higher data quality.

Federal funding agreements require the Cancer Registry to contain 3% or fewer death-certificate-only cases.

Vermont Vital Records

Vermont Healthcare Facilities

Vermont Healthcare Providers

Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health System

The Cancer Registry is required to link with state death files at least every year and incorporate results on vital status and cause of death into the registry database.

Conduct death clearance linkage.

Perform death clearance follow back; accession death-clearance-initiated (DCI) and death-clearance-only (DCO) cases.

Update VCR database with information gained from linkage.

As reported in our annual Data Evaluation Report submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Program of Cancer Registries Cancer Surveillance System. A measure of the completeness of case ascertainment. Calculated as the proportion of cases ascertained solely on the basis of a death certificate, with no other information on the case available after the registry has completed a routine procedure known as “death clearance and follow back.”