An analysis of acute leukemia records in the National Oncology Registry (1997-2002) compared with the data in the acute leukemia clinical registry (ALERT) and the data from literature
Abstract
Acute leukemia records in the National Oncology Registry (NOR) (1997-2002) have been compared with the data in the clinical registry ALERT and the data from literature. A considerable delay in implementation of hematological classification routinely used by pathologists and haematologists (FAB and subsequently WHO) into the MKN9 and the MKN10 classification systems lead to serious inaccuracies and mistakes.
As a result, it has been impossible to analyse single subsets of acute leukemias using the actual NOR registry, now. The analysis of summary incidence and mortality data from the NOR registry showed with the certain exceptions the usability of the incidence data, whereas the mortality data do not reflect the reality.
Necessary measures that should be taken to increase the validity of leukemia records in the NOR registry are summarized in the conclusion of our article. They include adjustment of the NOR records according to the valid leukemia classification, creation of the new summary requisition form with the basic data and guarantee of continual collaboration among the Czech Hematology Society and hematological centers over the data, which have to be analysed and processed with a higher flexibility as it has been before.
Using this strategy a spontaneous improvement in data reporting by clinicians may be achieved. In addition, the outcomes of registry analyses would be more credible and usable for experts in scientific communication and any possible deficiencies could be revealed earlier.