(up arrow) -- moves the highlighted variable or value one place closer to the top. 
(down arrow) -- moves the highlighted variable or value one place closer to the bottom. 
(X) -- returns the highlighted variable to the Report Variables list box. The Cancer Query System (CanQues) contains a variety of pre-calculated cancer statistics. CanQues performs no calculations of its own. The statistics it contains were generated by the organization that is hosting the application on its Web site.
Every statistic in a CanQues database is uniquely identifiable by several variables. Examples include:
| Variable | Values |
| Statistic Type | Age-Adjusted Rate, Crude/Age-Specific Rate, Survival Rate, Percent Change, etc. |
| Site | Lung and Bronchus, Breast, Oral Cavity and Pharynx, Leukemias, etc. |
| Year | 1973, 1997, 1993-1997, 1973-1997, etc. |
| Race | White, Black, etc. |
| Sex | Both Sexes, Female, etc. |
| Age | All Ages, 0-4, 50+, 0-64, etc. |
| Registry or State | Nine SEER registries, Connecticut, Iowa, etc. |
These are not the exact identifying variables of any database, only representative examples.
CanQues allows you to select one or more of the available values for each identifying variable, and to define reports using any variables for which you have selected more than one value.
The CanQues application features a wizard-style interface in which you work sequentially through four screens. The choices you make at each screen will determine what data are available to you on subsequent screens.
Questions or comments about the CanQues application should be emailed to canques@imsweb.com. Issues pertaining the specific databases and statistics should be addressed to the individuals or organizations who host them.
Most of the screens in CanQues include the following buttons:
In addition, each screen has a status bar placed just above the buttons. Error messages and other important information from the CanQues system will appear in this bar from time to time.
The first CanQues screen is the Select Database and Report Type screen. Here you choose which database you want to work with, and which type of report you want to generate first. Other types of reports may be generated from the Reports Page after the program has been executed.
The available databases are listed in the Database list box at the top of the screen. Click on the description of the database you want to work with. Depending on which database you select, the options in the Report Type window may change. There are four possible options, but they may not all be available in your implementation of CanQues.
Click on the name of the report type you want, then click Next to continue.
The Select Cancer Statistics screen is where you choose the statistics to be presented in your report. The Selection(s) list box lists of all the variables and their currently selected values.
Example: A line in the Selection(s) list box that reads "Site = Esophagus, Stomach" means that "Esophagus" and "Stomach" are the selected values for the "Site" variable.
To view all the possible values for a variable, click on its line in the Selection(s) list box. Its values will appear in the Value(s) list box. Those that are already selected will be highlighted. Click on a value to select or deselect it. Click Update to confirm your changes.
The buttons on this screen work as follows:
Any variable for which you select more than one value is called a "report variable" and is then displayed for use on the next screen.
On the third screen, the Report Definition screen, you must specify the position of the variables in the report. Since each of the supported report types has different properties, the contents of this screen will vary.
The name of all report variables (i.e., variables with more than one value) that you specified on the previous screen will appear in the Report Variables list box. Click on a variable's name to display its values in the Selected Values list box. These values are sorted in their order of appearance on the final report. To change that order, use the buttons described below.
Before you can continue to the next screen, you must use the buttons below the Report Variables list box to move all of its contents into the orientation list boxes at the top of the screen. The variables in these orientation lists can also be manipulated using the following buttons.
(up arrow) -- moves the highlighted variable or value one place closer to the top. (down arrow) -- moves the highlighted variable or value one place closer to the bottom. (X) -- returns the highlighted variable to the Report Variables list box. Up and down arrow buttons are also used to increase and decrease the Number of Decimals in the box at the bottom right of the screen. This specifies the number of decimal places to which CanQues will display your statistics.
If your report will be a vertical bar chart or a line chart, you can position variables along the x-axis or series of those charts. (The y-axis will always indicate the magnitude of the statistics.) Highlight the variable's name in the Report Variables list box and press either the X-Axis or the Series button. Note that, on a line chart, the x-axis may be used for only one variable.
All variables which are put into series will have separate lines or bars on the chart. On a bar chart, each possible combination of values for all series variables will get its own bar at each point on the x-axis. On a line chart, each possible combination will get its own line, with markers at each point on the x-axis.
Once all report variables are in orientation list boxes, you can click Next to continue to the final screen.
If you are generating your report as a table, you can choose to place your variables in the rows or columns of the table, or even to display tables for values of a given variable on separate pages. Highlight a variable name in the Report Variables window and click the Page, Row, or Column buttons to move the variable to the respective orientation list box. Note that you must put at least one variable in either the Row or Column list boxes.
Once all report variables are in orientation list boxes, you can click Next to continue to the final screen.
If you are generating a delimited data report, the only orientation list box available to you is the Order list box. This list specifies the order in which the delimited data will be arranged. You can highlight variables in the Report Variables list box and click Add to add them the Order list one at a time, or just use Add All to add them all at once. However, you will not be able to continue to the final screen until all variables have been added to the Order list box.
The final screen lets you review your report's parameters before running it. You cannot edit anything on this screen, so if you find any errors, use the Previous button to return to the appropriate screen and correct them. Once you are satisfied with the specifications of your report, click the Execute button to generate it.
The reports page loads in a new browser window. The topmost line of this page indicates the database from which you have drawn the statistics for this report.
Under the heading Selections, you will see a listing of the values for all the variables which were not used as report variables. These values apply to all the data on this page.
Next comes the report itself. If your report is a vertical bar or line chart, it will be produced as an image file. Depending on the number and orientation of the variables, it may rely on color-coding for readability. If so, a color key will be included at the bottom.
Table reports are straightforward. Each table cell is the intersection of a number of rows and/or columns, which have been labeled with a possible value of one or more of your report variables. In the cell is the statistic associated with those values.
Delimited data reports contain two sections, a Dictionary and the Data itself. The Dictionary assigns meaning to the numbers on each line of the data. If you are going to pass the data on to another computer program, it is probably wise to print or save a copy of the dictionary for future reference.
The Data is a series of numbers separated by semicolons and line breaks. Each line represents one statistic, which is broken up into fields by the semicolons. Every field on a line except the last contains a number which is assigned meaning by the dictionary. The order of variables in the dictionary corresponds to their order in the lines of data. The final field in the line contains the statistic associated with the previous fields.
Take a moment to read the Notes section towards the bottom of the page. It contains important qualifying information about the statistics in your report.
At the very bottom of the page, there may be hyperlinks bearing the names of other types of reports. Click on these links to generate a report in those formats using the same parameters.