Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) Practice Exam

What is the best method to display the survival rate by year of diagnosis for breast cancer patients in a line graph?

1. Bar graph

2. Line graph

3. Pie chart

4. Summary table

The correct answer is: Line graph

Displaying the survival rate by year of diagnosis for breast cancer patients is most effectively accomplished through a line graph. This method is particularly useful because it visually represents changes over time, allowing for easy observation of trends in survival rates as new treatments or diagnostic methods are introduced. A line graph connects data points with lines, which conveys a sense of continuity and progression. When analyzing survival rates over multiple years, a line graph enables viewers to easily see how rates might increase or decrease over time, providing a clear understanding of the temporal relationship between year of diagnosis and survival outcomes. In contrast, a bar graph does not illustrate continuous trends as effectively, since it separates data into distinct intervals. A pie chart is best suited for displaying parts of a whole at a single point in time, not for showcasing changes over time. A summary table, while it can list survival rates clearly, does not provide the immediate visual insight that a line graph does regarding trends. Thus, the choice of a line graph is optimal for visualizing and analyzing the survival data over the years.