Cancer Surveillance and Epidemiology in the United States and Puerto Rico, 1973-1977

This dataset was produced as part of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to monitor the incidence of cancer and cancer survival rates in the United States, thus carrying out the mandates of the National Cancer Act. The SEER Program had several objectives: to estimate the annual cancer incidence in the United States, to examine trends in cancer patient survival, to identify cancer etiologic factors, and to monitor trends in the incidence of cancer in selected geographic areas with respect to demographic and social characteristics. Data collection began in 1973, and by 1977 had a population base of 11 geographic areas in the United States and Puerto Rico. SEER variables include patient demographic information (age, sex, race, birthplace, marital status, census tract) and information on cancer, which was gathered from hospitals, clinics, private laboratories, private practitioners, nursing/convalescent homes, autopsies, and death certificates. The medical data cover histologic type, anatomic site, laterality, multiplicity within primary site at first diagnosis, diagnostic procedures, diagnostic confirmation, sequence of the tumor, extent of the disease, treatment of the lesion, and outcome.