A computerized data management system for head and neck oncology

Medical information, diagnostic technology, and modes of therapeutic intervention available for treatment of head and neck cancer have increased exponentially. The concurrent explosion of microcomputer technology has created an ideal instrument for organizing, storing, and reporting the expanded data the head and neck oncologist must now consider. This paper presents the principles, design, and operation of a recently developed head and neck oncological database program (HNODB). Details of implementation on a microcomputer are also described. A historical review of currently used prominent cancer registration programs is presented. It defines the fundamental elements of cancer registration. A review of cancer registration in the United States shows that current systems have various deficiencies and have not kept pace with the evolution of diagnostics, treatments, and computer technologies. The HNODB database program, however, is a valuable model for cancer data management, for it can be applied to small or extensive data collection needs, and it provides an accurate system to identify risk factors, numbers of patients treated and types of treatment given. The program allows for rapid analysis of treatment, results, follow-up, and survival rates of patients with carcinoma of the head and neck.