Short summary

The overall aim is to improve our understanding the utilization of chemotherapy to patient diagnosed with colorectal cancer. First, we will validate the chemotherapy registrations in the Danish National Patient Register and then use this register to describe the use of chemotherapy. 

Rationale

About 28,000 patients suffer from colorectal cancer and with roughly 5000 new cases a year, colorectal cancer is one of the 4 most common cancers in Denmark. Approximately 80% of the diagnosed patients are offered radical surgery, some of which receive chemotherapy preoperatively and/or adjuvant. The treatment is important in reducing the risk of recurrence and thus mortality. Chemotherapy is costly for patients' quality of life, hospital and society. A wide range of side effects and comorbidities are associated with the treatment, why a targeted, effective and safe treatment is important.

The purpose of the project is to investigate and describe the chemotherapeutic use of patients with colorectal cancer.

We will find patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer through the Danish National Patient Register. Then we will find the registered chemotherapy treatment recorded to the patient and compare this with the person's journal record. It will give us knowledge about:

1) The actual chemotherapeutic use.

2) Reasons why registered treatment has not been given.

Description of the cohort

 The cohort comprise 500 randomly selected patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (DC18, DC19 and DC20) in the Region of Southern Denmark during the period: 01/05 2016 - 01/05 2018.

Data and biological material

The Danish National Patient Register

Medical records