Table:
type of cancer, method of diagnostic confirmation and mean days alive
no link to discharge abstract database record during follow-up
linked to at least one discharge abstract database record during follow-up
p-value

n
% or mean
sd
n
% or mean
sd

prostate

total
21,134
100
50,182
100

method of diagnostic confirmation
<0.0001

histology
20,115
95.2
..
48,080
95.8
..

cytology
20
0.1
..
64
0.1
..

clinical/unknown
747
3.5
..
1,923
3.8
..

autopsy only/death certificate only
252
1.2
..
115
0.2
..

mean days alive
10,269
741.2
111.8
24,708
716.1
146.3
<0.0001

female breast

total
15,428
100
..
47,138
100
..

method of diagnostic confirmation
<0.0001

histology
14,396
93.3
..
46,337
98.3
..

cytology
120
0.8
..
215
0.5
..

clinical/unknown
697
4.5
..
542
1.1
..

autopsy only/death certificate only
215
1.4
..
44
0.1
..

mean days alive
11,124
385.1
58.8
35,565
383.9
56.1
0.0626

colorectal

total
2,907
100
..
57,161
100
..

method of diagnostic confirmation
<0.0001

histology
2,158
74.2
..
54,414
95.2
..

cytology
18
0.6
..
235
0.4
..

clinical/unknown
271
9.3
..
2,326
4.1
..

autopsy only/death certificate only
460
15.8
..
186
0.3
..

mean days alive
2,124
294.8
156
42,395
345.2
110.2
<0.0001

lung

total
6,451
100
..
55,812
100
..

method of diagnostic confirmation

histology
2,924
45.3
..
35,131
62.9
..
<0.0001

cytology
1,646
25.5
..
12,191
21.8
..

clinical/unknown
1,068
16.6
..
8,046
14.4
..

autopsy only/death certificate only
813
12.6
..
444
0.8
..

mean days alive
4,887
264.4
156
41,686
239
144.6
<0.0001

Statement: compared with colorectal cancers not linking to a dad record, those that linked were more likely to be histologically confirmed.
Question: for colorectal cancers,who were more likely to be histologically confirmed ,those not linking to a dad record or those that linked?
Answer: linked to at least one discharge abstract database record during follow-up