SEER Data, 1973-2014 (November 2016 Submission) and Later Releases

An extensive data quality review of SEER Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) values from 2004-2013 was completed, and PSA values for 2004-2014 prostate cases are included in the April 2017 and later data releases.

A routine quality assurance study by registrars that abstracted standardized cases identified concerns regarding the quality of the PSA value in all surveillance data, including SEER. To further evaluate the quality and accuracy of the SEER PSA data, the SEER Program performed and completed a PSA value audit of all invasive prostate cancer cases diagnosed in 2012 within SEER central registries, excluding cases reported from death certificate, autopsy, or nursing home/hospice only. Error rates were significantly lower than predicted. Cases from 2004 through 2013 have now been reviewed and PSA errors have been corrected for this data release. Additionally, automated quality control checks have been implemented in SEER central registries for the PSA value to flag inconsistencies between the coded value and text documentation, which will be adjudicated by registrar review.

The results of the 2012 prostate cancer case audit are summarized in an open access journal article in Cancer : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cncr.30401External Web Site Policy.

SEER Data, 1973-2013 (November 2015 Submission)

A routine quality assurance study by registrars that abstracted standardized cases identified concerns regarding the quality of the PSA value in all surveillance data, including SEER. To further evaluate the quality and accuracy of the SEER PSA data, the SEER Program performed and completed a PSA value audit of all invasive prostate cancer cases diagnosed in 2012 within SEER central registries, excluding cases reported from death certificate, autopsy, or nursing home/hospice only. Error rates were significantly lower than predicted. Cases from 2010-2013 were reviewed and PSA errors were corrected for the data release in April 2016. It is important to note that PSA has been a component of staging for prostate cancer since 2010, hence the focus on more recent cases first.

A review of prostate cases from 2004 through 2009 was begun with plans to add the corrected data to the April 2017 data release upon completion of the review and correction process. Additionally, automated quality control checks were implemented in SEER central registries for the PSA value to flag inconsistencies between the coded value and text documentation, which is adjudicated by registrar review.