CRGC Reporting Advisory 
RA-2015-002
May 6, 2015
 

Prostate - CS Site Specific Factor 1 

PSA Lab Value Coding Guidelines

 

 

In the TNM Reliability Study recently conducted, SEER found that PSA values were incorrectly coded due to erroneous decimal point placement, as well as incorrect rounding of PSA value issues.  

 

In the CRGC review of cases, we found that 56 out of 883 cases diagnosed in 2013 (6.3%) had an error in correctly coding the PSA values in just one of our regions.  We will continue to review CRGC prostate cases to ensure that PSA values are coded correctly.  In the meantime, we thought it might be a good idea to develop a reminder on how to code PSA values, with a special focus on decimal points and rounding issues. 

 

Click here to access the Prostate - CS SSF1 PSA Lab Value Coding Guidelines document.

 

PSA is an important data item used by researchers not only in California, but internationally as well. Lancet Oncology has published a news story about PSA values being left off the SEER data files this year due to these coding issues. Once the data has been reviewed and corrected as necessary, the PSA data will be re-included. 

 

 Click here to read the article.  

If you have questions or concerns regarding any of the content of this CRGC Reporting Advisory please contact me.   

Mignon Dryden, CTR
Education and Training Coordinator
Cancer Registry of Greater California