Cancer Cluster Investigation: Past Problem with State Reporting

New information obtained by NewsChannel 9 suggests the state of Georgia has had a problem in the past with reporting cancer cases. We uncovered the document as part of our investigation into claims there is a cancer cluster in the Dalton, Georgia area.

A group in Dalton says there are too many cases of a rare brain cancer, known as Glioblastoma. But an epidemiologist with Georgia's Division of Public Health says the state investigated and concluded there is no cancer cluster based partly on data from the state's cancer registry.

The National Cancer Registrars Association says cancer registries capture a complete summary of the history, diagnosis, treatment, and disease status for every cancer patient. State cancer registries get their information from hospitals and other places where a cancer diagnosis is made. States are required by law to report cancer cases.

But a document from Georgia's Division of Public Health from August 2000 says the state's cancer registry was incomplete.

The report says, "For the data in the Registry to be used with confidence, at least 90% of the newly diagnosed cancer cases must by included."

It goes on to say, "Reporting to the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry is "complete" only for 1995, the first year cancer incidence data were required to be reported by all health care providers. As of March 2000, reporting for 1995 was 93% complete, 1996 75% complete, 1997 72% complete and 1998 only 51% complete."

The report goes on to say, "The primary reason for incomplete data is that 19 hospitals and many outpatient diagnostic and/or treatment facilities do not report at all or do not report adequately." It then lists steps to improve completeness of the cancer registry data.

But the group in Dalton still wants to know: How can the state conclude there is no cancer cluster, if their cancer registry isn't complete?

When asked about the number of cases of Glioblastoma for the mid to late 1990s, Dr. Susan Lance with Georgia's Division of Public Health had this to say, "We don't have data from that period at this point." Reporter asks, Why don't you have the data? "We're in the process of finalizing our death records from those years with our cancer registry."

Dr. Lance went on to explain one of the methods the state uses to determine if a cancer cluster exists. She says the state uses data from its cancer registry to develop a base line of what the expected number of cases would be in a given population. They then look at the cancer registry to find the number of actual cases. Finally, they look to see if that number exceeds a rate they expect. Dr. Lance says based on statistical analysis from the cancer registry, "There is no evidence of a cancer cluster in the Dalton area."

Georgia's Division of Public Health says its Cancer Registry is very comprehensive. It says it received Gold Certification by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries for the diagnosis year 2000.

The state says it will release its full report on its cancer cluster investigation sometime in May.