| 1 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | method of diagnostic confirmation and mean days alive, by type of cancer and linkage status, 2005 to 2008 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 3 | 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 |
| 4 |  | n | % or mean | sd | n | % or mean | sd |  |
| 5 | prostate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 6 | total | 21,134 | 100 |  | 50,182 | 100 |  |  |
| 7 | method of diagnostic confirmation |  |  |  |  |  |  | <0.0001 |
| 8 | histology | 20,115 | 95.2 | .. | 48,080 | 95.8 | .. |  |
| 9 | cytology | 20 | 0.1 | .. | 64 | 0.1 | .. |  |
| 10 | clinical/unknown | 747 | 3.5 | .. | 1,923 | 3.8 | .. |  |
| 11 | autopsy only/death certificate only | 252 | 1.2 | .. | 115 | 0.2 | .. |  |
| 12 | mean days alive | 10,269 | 741.2 | 111.8 | 24,708 | 716.1 | 146.3 | <0.0001 |
| 13 | female breast |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 14 | total | 15,428 | 100 | .. | 47,138 | 100 | .. |  |
| 15 | method of diagnostic confirmation |  |  |  |  |  |  | <0.0001 |
| 16 | histology | 14,396 | 93.3 | .. | 46,337 | 98.3 | .. |  |
| 17 | cytology | 120 | 0.8 | .. | 215 | 0.5 | .. |  |
| 18 | clinical/unknown | 697 | 4.5 | .. | 542 | 1.1 | .. |  |
| 19 | autopsy only/death certificate only | 215 | 1.4 | .. | 44 | 0.1 | .. |  |
| 20 | mean days alive | 11,124 | 385.1 | 58.8 | 35,565 | 383.9 | 56.1 | 0.0626 |
| 21 | colorectal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 22 | total | 2,907 | 100 | .. | 57,161 | 100 | .. |  |
| 23 | method of diagnostic confirmation |  |  |  |  |  |  | <0.0001 |
| 24 | histology | 2,158 | 74.2 | .. | 54,414 | 95.2 | .. |  |
| 25 | cytology | 18 | 0.6 | .. | 235 | 0.4 | .. |  |
| 26 | clinical/unknown | 271 | 9.3 | .. | 2,326 | 4.1 | .. |  |
| 27 | autopsy only/death certificate only | 460 | 15.8 | .. | 186 | 0.3 | .. |  |
| 28 | mean days alive | 2,124 | 294.8 | 156 | 42,395 | 345.2 | 110.2 | <0.0001 |
| 29 | lung |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 30 | total | 6,451 | 100 | .. | 55,812 | 100 | .. |  |
| 31 | method of diagnostic confirmation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 32 | histology | 2,924 | 45.3 | .. | 35,131 | 62.9 | .. | <0.0001 |
| 33 | cytology | 1,646 | 25.5 | .. | 12,191 | 21.8 | .. |  |
| 34 | clinical/unknown | 1,068 | 16.6 | .. | 8,046 | 14.4 | .. |  |
| 35 | autopsy only/death certificate only | 813 | 12.6 | .. | 444 | 0.8 | .. |  |
| 36 | mean days alive | 4,887 | 264.4 | 156 | 41,686 | 239 | 144.6 | <0.0001 |

Question: what were the average numbers of days alive during follow-up for prostate cancers not linking to the dad and linked to at least one discharge abstract database record respectively?
Answer: 741.2, 716.1

Question: for breast 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

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

Question: for lung 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