BACKGROUND Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) claims database provides large-cohort. However, studies regarding accuracy of administrative database for pancreatic cancer (PC) have not been reported. We aimed to identify accuracy of NHI database regarding PC classified by international classification of disease (ICD)-10 codes.

AIM To identify the accuracy and usefulness of administrative database in PC and the accurate ICD codes for PC with location.

METHODS Study and control groups were collected from 2003 to 2016 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. Cases of PC were identified in NHI database by international classification of diseases, 10th revision edition (ICD-10 codes) supported with V codes. V code is issued by medical doctors for covering 95% of medical cost by Korean government. According to pathologic reports, definite or possible diagnoses were defined using medical records, images, and pathology.

RESULTS A total of 1846 cases with PC and controls were collected. Among PC, only 410 (22.2%) cases were identified as specific cancer sites including head in 234 (12.7%) cases, tail in 104 (5.6%) cases and body in 72 (3.9%) cases. Among PC, 910 (49.3%) cases were diagnosed by definite criteria. Most of these were adenocarcinoma (98.0%). The rates of definite diagnosis of PC were highest in head (70.1%) followed by body (47.2%) and tail (43.3%). False-positive cases were pancreatic cystic neoplasm and metastasis to the pancreas. In terms of the overall diagnosis of PC, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 99.95%, 98.72%, 98.70%, and 99.95%, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was similar both in terms of diagnostic criteria and tumor locations.

CONCLUSION Korean NHI claims database collected according to ICD-10 code with V code for PC showed good accuracy.