Abstract
Background/Aims Quality information is essential to analyzing tumor data. Tumor data standards change over time, making it paramount to understand how the external standards affect the data. The changes, over time, can create artificial data quality issues that result in inaccurate conclusions and inhibit observational research. Improving the quality of data, information, and knowledge is foundational to utilizing the VDW Tumor data for cancer research. The challenges associated with maintaining high quality data in the VDW Tumor data requires a clear understanding of the various data content standards that have historically affected these data. As experts on their tumor data, tumor researchers need to understand and identify which data content standards affect their data. They also need to know how the data standards were implemented and managed in their systems as well as in the standards world of tumor data.
Methods We gathered information from the tumor standards agencies and compiled into one document. We then evaluated each change in the standards for its potential impact on VDW Tumor data elements.
Results We developed a timeline/calendar view to show the version changes implemented, by date for each standard. For each version change, a callout contains a table with the VDW Tumor data elements that were impacted and a description of the impact.
Conclusions VDW Tumor data content is impacted by various standards, and when utilizing and loading this data, they must be taken into account. This presentation provides a guideline of the changes over time that can be used when accessing or loading VDW Tumor data.
