Devita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's Cancer

LWBK1006-10 LWW-Govindan-Review November 24, 2011 11:21

116 DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s CANCER: Principles and Practice of Oncology Review

Question 10.3. Which of the following is NOT true regarding the Surveillance, Epide-

miology, and End Results (SEER) registry?

A. Initial patient and disease characteristics from the time of cancer diag-

nosis are obtained from qualified hospital registries.

B. Subsequent treatments and clinical outcomes are integrated into the

SEER registry.

C. SEER data can be linked with Medicare claims to provide additional

details regarding patients’ treatments.

D. SEER data are correlated with population bases to allow for estimates

of incidence rates.

Question 10.4. The quality of health care is least frequently measured by which of the

following:

A. Practice according to established guidelines

B. Appropriate certifications and credentialing of personnel

C. Availability of specific services or technologies

D. Clinical outcomes, such as survival or quality of life

Question 10.5. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the association between out-

comes and high-volume centers?

A. The strongest association between cancer surgery and outcomes is

with low-risk procedures such as prostatectomy and colectomy.

B. Observational data often does not have sufficient information on

comorbidities to control for hospital “case-mix.”

C. The improvement in outcomes seen at high-volume centers is associ-

ated only with short-term outcomes, such as 30-day mortality.

D. In most cases, there are clear thresholds that differentiate high-volume

from low-volume centers.

Question 10.6. Why are patient-reported outcomes an important end point in oncology

research?

A. Cancer treatments often have a large impact on overall survival.

B. Cancer treatment decisions are often straightforward.

C. Cancer treatments that are curative need to be advanced.

D. Cancer treatments often have significant toxicity.

Question 10.7. Studies of patient-recorded outcomes require “instruments,” such as sur-

veys and symptom diaries. A good instrument should show all of the

following, EXCEPT:

A. Subjectivity: Allows patients to elaborate on symptoms.

B. Variability: A broad range of responses.

C. Internal consistency: Answers to questions regarding similar symp-

toms correlate well with each other.

D. Reliability: Repeat administration on the same patient gives similar

results.