[3] The data is used to evaluate patient outcome, quality of life, provide follow-up information, calculate survival rates, analyze referral pattern, allocate resources at regional or state level, report cancer incidence as required under state law, and evaluate efficacy of treatment modalities.
In 1956, the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) formally adopted a policy to encourage, through their Approvals Program, the development of hospital-based cancer registries.
In 1992, U.S. Public Law 102-515 established the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR); it is administered by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Important barriers and facilitators in this process include clear rules on data sharing, which in many countries may be problematic.
The SEER program population-based cancer registries include Arizona Indians, Cherokee Nation, Connecticut, Detroit, Georgia Center for Cancer Statistics (Atlanta, Great Georgia, and Rural Georgia), Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry (San Francisco-Oakland and San Jose-Monterey), Greater California, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Los Angeles, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Seattle-Puget Sound, and Utah.
Selection of the geographic areas is based on the ability to operate and maintain a high quality population-based cancer reporting system.
NPCR supports central cancer registries in 45 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Pacific Island jurisdictions (covers approximately 96% of the U.S. population).
The data collected helps public health professionals understand and address the cancer burden.
NPCR's future direction is to expand the use of information technology designed to support, improve, and enhance the management and exchange of electronic data in cancer surveillance.
[8] Due to the lack of central and comprehensive sources of data, research on cancer rates amongst firefighters has been challenging.
Health care providers in Sweden are required to report newly detected cancer cases diagnosed at clinical, morphological, and laboratory examination (as well as those discovered during autopsy) to the registry.