Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30037866›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2018

Sensitivity and specificity of breast cancer ICD-9-CM codes in three Italian administrative healthcare databases: a diagnostic accuracy study.

Iosief Abraha, Diego Serraino, Alessandro Montedori, Mario Fusco, Gianni Giovannini, Paola Casucci, Francesco Cozzolino, Massimiliano Orso, Annalisa Granata, Marcello De Giorgi and 8 more

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. The accuracy of administrative data in identifying pulmonary metastases: a population-based study in Northern Italy.European journal of cancer prevention : the official journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP) · 2026
    Article
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  6. Detection of incident breast and colorectal cancer cases from an administrative healthcare database in Catalonia, Spain.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2020
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Iosief AbrahaHealth Planning Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5440-775X
Diego SerrainoCancer Epidemiology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy.
Alessandro MontedoriHealth Planning Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Mario FuscoRegistro Tumori Regione Campania, ASL Napoli 3 Sud, Brusciano, Italy.
Gianni GiovanniniHealth Planning Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Paola CasucciHealth ICT Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Francesco CozzolinoHealth Planning Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Massimiliano OrsoHealth Planning Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Annalisa GranataHealth ICT Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Marcello De GiorgiHealth ICT Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Paolo CollarileSOC Epidemiologia Oncologica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy.
Rita ChiariDipartimento di Oncologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Jennifer FogliettaDipartimento di Oncologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Maria Francesca VitaleRegistro Tumori Regione Campania, ASL Napoli 3 Sud, Brusciano, Italy.
Fabrizio StracciPublic Health Department, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Walter OrlandiDirezione Sanità, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
Ettore BidoliCancer Epidemiology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy.
D.I.V.O. Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess the accuracy of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes in identifying patients diagnosed with incident carcinoma in situ and invasive breast cancer in three Italian administrative databases.

designA diagnostic accuracy study comparing ICD-9-CM codes for carcinoma in situ (233.0) and for invasive breast cancer (174.x) with medical chart (as a reference standard). Case definition: (1) presence of a primary nodular lesion in the breast and (2) cytological or histological documentation of cancer from a primary or metastatic site.

settingAdministrative databases from Umbria Region, Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Napoli 3 Sud (NA) and Friuli VeneziaGiulia (FVG) Region.

participantsWomen with breast carcinoma in situ (n=246) or invasive breast cancer (n=384) diagnosed (in primary position) between 2012 and 2014. OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensitivity and specificity for codes 233.0 and 174.x.

resultsFor invasive breast cancer the sensitivities were 98% (95% CI 93% to 99%) for Umbria, 96% (95% CI 91% to 99%) for NA and 100% (95% CI 97% to 100%) for FVG. Specificities were 90% (95% CI 82% to 95%) for Umbria, 91% (95% CI 83% to 96%) for NA and 91% (95% CI 84% to 96%) for FVG.For carcinoma in situ the sensitivities were 100% (95% CI 93% to 100%) for Umbria, 100% (95% CI 95% to 100%) for NA and 100% (95% CI 96% to 100%) for FVG. Specificities were 98% (95% CI 93% to 100%) for Umbria, 86% (95% CI 78% to 92%) for NA and 90% (95% CI 82% to 95%) for FVG.

conclusionsAdministrative healthcare databases from Umbria, NA and FVG are accurate in identifying hospitalised news cases of carcinoma of the breast. The proposed case definition is a powerful tool to perform research on large populations of newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer.

Indexed as

Databases, FactualInternational Classification of DiseasesAdultBreast NeoplasmsClinical CodingFemaleHumansItalyLogistic ModelsMiddle AgedSensitivity and Specificityadministrative databasebreast cancersensitivity and specificityvalidity

Identifiers

PMID30037866
PMCPMC6059298

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.