Using a population‐based registry to identify patterns of care in childhood cancer in Florida

Background. Unlike cancers occurring in adults, childhood cancers are distinguished by being primarily nonepithelial in origin and by their relative rarity. Even with the availability of registries such as the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program of the National Cancer Institute or the Florida Cancer Data System for the State of Florida, there are potential biases that may affect the estimates of pediatric cancer incidence, studies related to elucidating patterns of care, and other epidemiologic studies. Methods. To evaluate the magnitude of these potential biases and elucidate the settings (pediatric cancer center versus non-cancer center) in which childhood cancers are treated, the authors performed a retrospective study of childhood cancer in Florida