Sources of error in the registration of oral cancer.

The names of 102 patients with histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity were checked against Cancer Registry data for the Trent Region. The study was carried out to determine the accuracy of site recording and the failure rate of registration. Although 94 of the patients were registered, 38 per cent of these were incorrectly coded with respect to site. The way in which such errors may occur is discussed and the procedure for registration of oral cancer is explained.