Glossary of Cancer Statistics :

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

age-adjusted rate
An age-adjusted incidence or mortality rate is a weighted average of the age-specific incidence or mortality rates, where the weights are the proportions of persons in the corresponding age groups of a standard million population. The potential confounding effect of age is reduced when comparing age-adjusted rates computed using the same standard million population.

annual percent change (APC)
Annual Percent Change is used to measure trend or the change in rate over time. It is the "average" annual rate of change over the time series selected.

Annual Report to the Nation
An annual update of cancer death rates, incidence rates (new cases), and trends in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries collaborate to create this report.

cancer
A term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

cancer burden
A measure of the incidence of cancer within the population and an estimate of the financial, emotional, or social impact it creates. The burden of disease is not borne equally by all population groups in the United States.

Cancer Statistics Review (CSR)
An annual report containing the most recent incidence, mortality, and survival statistics, published by the Cancer Statistics Branch of the NCI. It presents a broad profile of the cancer burden.

complete prevalence
Complete Prevalence represents the proportion of people alive on a certain day who previously had a diagnosis of the disease, regardless of how long ago the diagnosis was, or if the patient is still under treatment or is considered cured.

confidence interval
A range of values that has a specified probability of containing the rate or trend. The 95% (p-value = .05) and 99% (p-value = .01) confidence intervals are the most commonly used.

crude rate
A crude rate is the number of new cases (or deaths) occurring in a specified population per year, usually expressed as the number of cases per 100,000 population at risk.

delay adjusted rate
A cancer rate adjusted for reporting delay, the time elapsed before a diagnosed cancer case is reported to the NCI.

extent of disease
Refers to the stage of the disease and details the degree to which the cancer has advanced. Extent of disease records the number of lymph nodes involved, metastases and size of primary tumor

Fast Stats
Fast Stats is designed to allow quick and easy access to key statistics for all major cancer sites by age, sex, race, and geographic area. The statistics include incidence, mortality, prevalence, and the probability of developing or dying from cancer.

five-year survival rate
The percentage of people in a study or treatment group who are alive five years after they were diagnosed with or treated for a disease, such as cancer. The disease may or may not have come back.

georeferenced statistics
Statistics reported by geographic location of the events (e.g., residence of the cancer case)

ICCC classification
At the time the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published their first monograph on Childhood Cancer in 1988, Dr. R. Marsden published an annex giving a classification scheme for childhood cancer that consisted of 12 groups based chiefly on histologic type. The classification by Marsden has been modified and is now called the International Classification of Childhood Cancers.

in situ cancer
Early cancer that has not spread to neighboring tissue.

incidence
The number of newly diagnosed cases during a specific time period.

invasive cancer
Cancer that has spread beyond the layer of tissue in which it developed and is growing into surrounding, healthy tissues. Also called infiltrating or malignant cancer.

Joinpoint software
Statistical software for the analysis of trends using a regression model that describes trends by a sequence of straight line segments, connected at "joinpoints" where significant changes in trend have been calculated.

life tables
A table for a given population listing, for each sex and each age from 0 to 120, how many members die at that age and how many survive one more year.

lifetime risk
The probability of developing or dying from cancer in the course of one's lifespan.

limited-duration prevalence
Represents the proportion of people alive on a certain day who had a diagnosis of the disease within the past x years.