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Data Standards and Data Dictionary

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Length: 1
Source of Standard: SEER/CoC
Section Name: Demographic
Record Types: A, M, C, I

XML NAACCR ID: spanishHispanicOrigin

Parent XML Element: Patient

Alternate Names:

  • Spanish Origin--All Sources (96 CoC)
  • Spanish Surname or Origin (SEER)

Required Status:

NPCR Collect: R - Required
CoC Collect: R - Required
SEER Collect: R - Required
CCCR Collect: . - No recommendations

Description:

Code identifying persons of Spanish or Hispanic origin. This code is used by hospital and central registries to show the “best guess” as to whether or not the person should be classified as Hispanic for purposes of calculating cancer rates. If the patient has multiple tumors, all records should have the same code.

Reference to Census 2000 definitions for ethnicity and race: \<http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf2.pdf>. All information resources should be used to determine the correct code, including:

  • Stated ethnicity in the medical record
  • Stated Hispanic origin on the death certificate
  • Birthplace
  • Information about life history and/or language spoken found during the abstracting process
  • Patient’s last name [2230] or maiden name [2390] found on a list of Hispanic names

Some registries code the information from the medical record, others code ethnicity based on Spanish names, and others use a combination of methods.

Persons of Spanish or Hispanic origin may be of any race, but these categories generally are not used for Native Americans, Filipinos, etc., who may have Spanish names. If a patient has an Hispanic name, but there is reason to believe they are not Hispanic (e.g., the patient is Filipino, or the patient is a woman known to be non-Hispanic who has a Hispanic married name), the code in this field should be 0 (non-Spanish, non-Hispanic). The code in item Computed Ethnicity [200], however, would reflect the Hispanic name.

Assign code 7 if Hispanic ethnicity is based strictly on a computer list or algorithm (unless contrary evidence is available) and also code in Computed Ethnicity [200].

See also Computed Ethnicity [200]. Note: NAACCR recognizes that available definitions and abstracting instructions for Name--Last [2230] and Name--Maiden [2390] may be inadequate for describing names used in some cultures, including Hispanic cultures. Explicit instructions have not been provided for entering compound names, with or without hyphens or “De.” Order of names, use of maternal and paternal names, and use of hyphens can vary across cultures. It is likely that abstracting and coding practice for these items varies across registries. Limitations inherent in these definitions should be kept in mind when using the data.

Rationale:

See the rationales for the Race 1-5 [160-164] and Computed Ethnicity [200]. Ethnic origin has a significant association with cancer rates and outcomes. Hispanic populations have different patterns of occurrence of cancer from other populations that may be included in the “white” category of Race [160].

Item Data Type:

digits

Allowable Values

0-8, 9

Codes:

0

Non-Spanish; non-Hispanic

1

Mexican (includes Chicano)

2

Puerto Rican

3

Cuban

4

South or Central American (except Brazil)

5

Other specified Spanish/Hispanic origin (includes European; excludes Dominican Republic)

6

Spanish, NOS
Hispanic, NOS
Latino, NOS
There is evidence, other than surname or maiden name, that the person is Hispanic, but he/she cannot be assigned to any of the other categories 1-5.

7

Spanish surname only (Code 7 is ordinarily for central registry use only, hospital registrars may use code 7 if using a list of Hispanic surnames provided by their central registry; otherwise, code 9 'unknown whether Spanish or not' should be used.) The only evidence of the person's Hispanic origin is the surname or maiden name and there is no contrary evidence that the person is not Hispanic.

8

Dominican Republic

9

Unknown whether Spanish or not

Code Notes:

Note: Code 7 was adopted for use effective with 1994 diagnosis and modified December 1994. Note: Code 8 was added in Standards Volume II Version 10.2, effective January 2005, however, abstractors may assign code 8 to tumors diagnosed prior to 2005.