Description
For sample adults with at least one full sister (FSNUM) who ever had cancer of any kind (FSNHCAN), FS3KCAN reports whether the respondent had at least one full sister who ever had more than 3 kinds of cancer.
FS3KCAN 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 "full siblings" as people who have "the same biological father and mother." Thus, a respondent's full sister is a sister who has the same biological father and mother as the respondent (i.e., not half-sisters, stepsisters, adopted sisters, foster sisters, or sisters-in-law).
I. Related Variables for Full Sister(s)
Sample adults with at least one full sister who ever had cancer of any kind (FSNHCAN) were asked the follow-up question, "What kinds of cancer did your [full] sister(s) have?" As noted in the 2000, 2005, and 2010 Survey Descriptions, respondents could specify up to two types of cancer for their siblings. Besides reporting more than 3 kinds of cancer, possible types of cancer that respondents could report for their full sister(s) were:
- Bladder (FSBLCAN)
- Blood (FSBDCAN)
- Bone (FSBNCAN)
- Brain (FSBRCAN)
- Breast (FSBTCAN)
- Cervix (FSCXCAN)
- Colon (FSCLCAN)
- Esophagus (FSESCAN)
- Gallbladder (FSGBCAN)
- Kidney (FSKDCAN)
- Larynx-windpipe (FSLWCAN)
- Leukemia (FSLKCAN)
- Liver (FSLVCAN)
- Lung (FSLGCAN)
- Lymphoma (FSLYCAN)
- Melanoma (FSMNCAN)
- Mouth/tongue/lip (FSMTCAN)
- Ovary (FSOVCAN)
- Pancreas (FSPCCAN)
- Prostate (FSPSCAN)
- Rectum (FSRTCAN)
- Skin (non-melanoma) (FSSKCAN)
- Skin (don't know what kind) (FSSNCAN)
- Soft Tissue (muscle/fat) (FSSTCAN)
- Stomach (FSSMCAN)
- Testis (FSTTCAN)
- Throat - pharynx (FSTPCAN)
- Thyroid (FSTYCAN)
- Uterus (FSUTCAN)
- Other (FSOCCAN)
- Unknown kind of cancer (FSUKCAN)
II. Cancer Variables for Other Biological Relatives
In addition to questions about full sister(s), the "Family History" section of the 2000, 2005, and 2010 Cancer Modules also included questions about respondents' biological daughter(s), biological son(s), full brother(s) (i.e., brother(s) with the same biological father and biological mother as the respondent), biological father, 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 sisters, and for the biological father and mother) are listed below:
- Biological daughter(s) had more than 2 kinds of cancer (BD2KCAN)
- Biological son(s) had more than 2 kinds of cancer (BS2KCAN)
- Full brother(s) had more than 3 kinds of cancer (FB3KCAN)
- Biological father had more than 3 kinds of cancer (BF3KCAN)
- Biological mother had more than 3 kinds of cancer (BM3KCAN)
Similar groups of variables are also available for the other kinds of cancers noted above in (I).
Comparability
FS3KCAN is fully comparable between 2005 and 2010.
FS3KCAN 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 sister(s) ever had cancer.
- 2005; 2010: Sample adults age 18+ whose sister(s) ever had 3 kinds of cancer.
Codes and Frequencies
Availability
- 2000, 2005, 2010
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Weights
- 2000, 2005, 2010 : SAMPWEIGHT
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