Description
For sample adults whose biological father ever had cancer of any kind (BFHCAN), BF3KCAN reports whether the respondent's biological father ever had more than 3 kinds of cancer.
BF3KCAN is one of a series of related variables in the "Family History" section of the 2000, 2005, and 2010 Cancer Modules. In all three years, this section begins with the general comment:
According to the 2000 and 2005 Field Representative's Manuals, the purpose of this and other family cancer history questions is to "determine the prevalence of cancer in families in the population" to "allow a greater understanding of how data obtained from genetics clinics can be applied to the general population." The 2010 Manual provides a similar rationale, stating that the collection of this data "will allow analysts a greater understanding of how family history relates to cancer."
The Manuals for all three years define "biological" relatives as people related by blood. Thus, a respondent's biological father is a father related to the respondent by blood (i.e., not a stepfather, adoptive father, foster father, or father-in-law).
I. Related Variables for Biological Father
Sample adults with a biological father who ever had cancer of any kind (BFHCAN) were asked the follow-up question, "What kinds of cancer did your [biological] father have?" As noted in the 2000, 2005, and 2010 Survey Descriptions, respondents could specify up to two types of cancer for their parents. Besides reporting more than 3 kinds of cancer, possible types of cancer that respondents could report for their biological father were:
- Bladder (BFBLCAN)
- Blood (BFBDCAN)
- Bone (BFBNCAN)
- Brain (BFBRCAN)
- Breast (BFBTCAN)
- Cervix (BFCXCAN)
- Colon (BFCLCAN)
- Esophagus (BFESCAN)
- Gallbladder (BFGBCAN)
- Kidney (BFKDCAN)
- Larynx-windpipe (BFLWCAN)
- Leukemia (BFLKCAN)
- Liver (BFLVCAN)
- Lung (BFLGCAN)
- Lymphoma (BFLYCAN)
- Melanoma (BFMNCAN)
- Mouth/tongue/lip (BFMTCAN)
- Ovary (BFOVCAN)
- Pancreas (BFPCCAN)
- Prostate (BFPSCAN)
- Rectum (BFRTCAN)
- Skin (non-melanoma) (BFSKCAN)
- Skin (don't know what kind) (BFSNCAN)
- Soft Tissue (muscle/fat) (BFSTCAN)
- Stomach (BFSMCAN)
- Testis (BFTTCAN)
- Throat - pharynx (BFTPCAN)
- Thyroid (BFTYCAN)
- Uterus (BFUTCAN)
- Other (BFOCCAN)
- Unknown kind of cancer (BFUKCAN)
II. Cancer Variables for Other Biological Relatives
In addition to questions about the respondent's biological father, the "Family History" section of the 2000, 2005, and 2010 Cancer Modules also included questions about respondent's biological son(s), biological daughter(s), full brother(s) (i.e., brother(s) with the same biological father and biological mother as the respondent), full sister(s), and biological mother. Variables reporting whether other family members had more than 2 kinds of cancer (for biological sons and daughters) or more than 3 kinds of cancer (for biological brothers and sisters, and for the biological mother) are listed below:
- Biological son(s) had more than 2 kinds of cancer (BS2KCAN)
- Biological daughter(s) had more than 2 kinds of cancer (BD2KCAN)
- Full brother(s) had more than 3 kinds of cancer (FB3KCAN)
- Full sister(s) had more than 3 kinds of cancer (FS3KCAN)
- Biological mother had more than 3 kinds of cancer (BM3KCAN)
Similar groups of variables are also available for the other kinds of cancers noted in I above.
Comparability
BF3KCAN is fully comparable between 2005 and 2010.
BF3KCAN is largely comparable between 2000 and 2005/2010, though there may be some difference in the meaning of "refused," "not ascertained," and "don't know" as used in 2000 compared to the meanings of those terms in 2005 and 2010.
The Survey Descriptions for all three years caution that while "all sample adults were to be asked the questions in the Cancer Control Module, some persons did not complete the supplement." However, whereas in 2000, persons who answered less than 50 percent of the questions in the supplement had a value of "not ascertained" automatically inserted in the appropriate fields of the Cancer Control Module file, in both 2005 and 2010, persons who answered none of the questions in the supplement had a value of "not ascertained" automatically inserted in the appropriate fields of the Cancer Control Module file.
Universe
- 2000: Sample adults age 18+ whose father ever had cancer.
- 2005; 2010: Sample adults age 18+ whose father ever had 3 kinds of cancer.
Codes and Frequencies
Availability
- 2000, 2005, 2010
Loading...
Weights
- 2000, 2005, 2010 : SAMPWEIGHT
Loading...