Pathology reports are considered the primary casefinding source because 95% of all reportable cases are histologically confirmed. The disease index is used as a cross-check on the completeness of reporting of pathology cases at hospitals, as well as an effective method to identify clinically diagnosed cases.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Both are true

Answer: (A)

When counting cancer cases, histology provides the most reliable confirmation, so pathology reports become the main entry point for casefinding. The fact that about 95% of reportable cancers are histologically confirmed means pathology data capture the vast majority of cases, giving registries a strong, dependable foundation for incidence data. The disease index is used to check how complete reporting is across hospitals and to identify cases diagnosed clinically (without histology) that might otherwise be missed, ensuring those cases are captured too. Together, this setup supports accurate, comprehensive casefinding and quality surveillance.