Which term describes an abbreviated abstract developed from pathology reports and disease indices used to identify potential cancer cases for abstracting?

Which term describes an abbreviated abstract developed from pathology reports and disease indices used to identify potential cancer cases for abstracting?

• A. Suspense case
• B. Full abstract
• C. Case summary
• D. Preliminary note

Answer: (A)

In cancer registry practice, potential cancer cases are flagged for further review using a suspense mechanism as soon as pathology reports and disease indices suggest a cancer. An abbreviated entry is created from those initial sources so the registry can quickly identify whether the case should be fully abstracted. This provisional entry is called a suspense case. It acts as a placeholder that tracks the candidate case while awaiting confirmation of key details (like site, histology, and date of diagnosis) before a full abstract is produced. This approach ensures timely capture of potential cases and prevents delays or loss of information in the abstraction process. Once the case is confirmed and all required data are in place, the suspense case is expanded into a full abstract. Other terms such as case summary or preliminary note describe shorter or different kinds of documentation and do not specifically denote the provisional, abstract-like entry used to screen and track potential cases for future abstraction.

In cancer registry practice, potential cancer cases are flagged for further review using a suspense mechanism as soon as pathology reports and disease indices suggest a cancer. An abbreviated entry is created from those initial sources so the registry can quickly identify whether the case should be fully abstracted. This provisional entry is called a suspense case. It acts as a placeholder that tracks the candidate case while awaiting confirmation of key details (like site, histology, and date of diagnosis) before a full abstract is produced.

This approach ensures timely capture of potential cases and prevents delays or loss of information in the abstraction process. Once the case is confirmed and all required data are in place, the suspense case is expanded into a full abstract. Other terms such as case summary or preliminary note describe shorter or different kinds of documentation and do not specifically denote the provisional, abstract-like entry used to screen and track potential cases for future abstraction.