Anterior resection for rectal cancer in Sweden: validation of a registry-based method to determine long-term stoma outcome

AbstractBackground: A permanent stoma after anterior resection for rectal cancer is common. Nationwide registries provide sufficient power to evaluate factors influencing this phenomenon, but validation is required to ensure the quality of registry-based stoma outcomes.Methods: Patients who underwent anterior resection for rectal cancer in the Northern healthcare region of Sweden between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2013 were reviewed by medical records and followed until 31 December 2014 with regard to stoma outcome. A registry-based method to determine nationwide long-term stoma outcomes, using data from the National Patient Registry and the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry, was developed and internally validated using the chart reviewed reference cohort. Accuracy was evaluated with positive and negative predictive values and Kappa values. Following validation, the stoma outcome in all patients treated with an anterior resection for rectal cancer in Sweden during the study period was estimated. Poss...