Missing patient information in a national database may create blind spots in cancer data

A significant number of cancer patients—particularly those with more advanced cancers who are more likely to receive care at community hospitals, safety net hospitals, and rural medical centers—may have incomplete case information in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. This finding, the researchers note, warrants careful consideration when interpreting studies that rely on SEER data.