Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The role of cancer registries in cancer control

  • Review Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cancer control aims to reduce the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of cancer and to improve the quality of life of cancer patients through the systematic implementation of evidence-based interventions in prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care. In the context of a national cancer control program (NCCP), a cancer surveillance program (CSP), built around a population-based cancer registry, is an essential element. Data on the size and evolution of the cancer burden in the population are essential to evaluation of the current situation, to setting objectives for cancer control, and defining priorities. Cancer data are essential in monitoring the progress of the implementation of an NCCP, as well as providing an evaluation of the many individual cancer control activities. In the context of an NCCP, the CSP should provide a focus of epidemiological expertise, not only for providing statistical data on incidence, mortality, stage distribution, treatment patterns, and survival but also for conducting studies into the important causes of cancer in the local situation, and for providing information about the prevalence of exposure to these factors in the population. Cancer surveillance via the population-based registry therefore plays a crucial role in formulating cancer control plans, as well as in monitoring their success.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organisation (2002) National cancer control programmes. Policies and managerial guidelines, 2nd edn., WHO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  2. Muir CS, Demaret E, Boyle P (1985) The cancer registry in cancer control: an overview. In: Parkin DM, Wagner G, Muir CS (eds) The role of the registry in cancer control. IARC Scientific Publications no. 66., IARC, Lyon, pp 13–26

    Google Scholar 

  3. Armstrong BK (1992). The role of the registry in cancer control. Cancer Causes Control 3:569–579

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. World Health Organisation (1973) Environmental and health surveillance in occupational medicine. Technical report series no. 535. WHO, Geneva, p 7

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hiatt RA, Rimer BK (1999) A new strategy for cancer control research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 8:957–964

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. World Health Organisation (2003) World health report 2003 “Shaping the future”. WHO, Geneva (also available at: http://www.who.int/whr/2003/en)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hakama M, Hakulinen T, Teppo L, et al. (1975) Incidence, mortality or prevalence as indicators of the cancer problem. Cancer 36:2227–2231

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Pisani P, Bray F, Parkin DM (2002) Estimates of the world-wide prevalence of cancer for 25 sites in the adult population. Int J Cancer 97:72–81

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Adami HO, Gunnarson T, Spaŕen P, et al. (1989) The prevalence of cancer in Sweden. Acta Oncol 4:463–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Capocaccia R, Colonna M, Corazziari I, et al. (2002) Measuring cancer prevalence in Europe: the EUROPREVAL project. Ann Oncol 13:831–839

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Jensen OM, Carstensen B, Glattre E, et al. (1988) Atlas of cancer incidence in the Nordic countries. Nordic Cancer Union, Helsinki

    Google Scholar 

  12. Miller BA, Kolonel LN, Bernstein L, et al. (eds) (1996) Racial/Ethnic patterns of cancer in the United States 1988–1992. NIH Publication no. 96-4104. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD

    Google Scholar 

  13. Singh GK, Miller BA, Hankey BF, et al. (2003) Area socioeconomic variations in US cancer incidence, mortality, stage, treatment, and survival, 1975–1999. NCI Cancer Surveillance Monograph Series, number 4. NIH Publication no. 03-5417. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD

    Google Scholar 

  14. Roche LM, Skinner R, Weinstein RB (2002) Use of a geographic information system to identify and characterize areas with high proportions of distant stage breast cancer. J Public Health Manag Pract 8:26–32

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Adams J, White M, Forman D (2004) Are there socioeconomic gradients in stage and grade of breast cancer at diagnosis? Cross sectional analysis of UK cancer registry data. BMJ 329:142 [Epub]

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Greenwald P, Cullen JW, McKenna JW (1987) Cancer prevention and control, from research through applications. J Natl Cancer Inst 79:389–400

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Scottish Executive (2003) NHS National targets, related to NHS national priorities. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/10/18432/28415

  18. World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Europe (1985) Targets for health for all. European Health for all Series, no. 1. WHO, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  19. European Union (European Parliament and Council Decision) Europe Against Cancer, action plan (1996–2002). Official Journal L 95,16.04.1996 [http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/cha/c11505c.htm]

  20. Bray F, Moller B (2006) Predicting the future burden of cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 6:63–74

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Møller B, Fekjær H, Hakulinen T, et al. (2002) Prediction of cancer incidence in the Nordic countries up to the year 2020. Eur J Cancer Prev 11(Suppl): S1–S96

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Coory M, Armstrong BK (1998) Cancer Incidence projections for area and rural health services in New South Wales. NSW Cancer Council, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  23. Stockton D (2004) Cancer in Scotland, Sustaining change. Cancer incidence projections for Scotland (2001–2020) An aid to planning cancer services. NHS Scotland, Edinburgh, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/12/20257/46696

    Google Scholar 

  24. Boyle P, Zaridze DG (1983) Colorectal cancer as a disease of the environment. Ecol Dis 2:241–248

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Cummings JH, Bingham SA (1998) Diet and the prevention of cancer. Br Med. J 317:1636–1640

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Armstrong B, Doll R (1975) Environmental factors and cancer incidence and mortality in different countries, with special reference to dietary practices. Int J Cancer 15:617–631

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. McMichael AJ, McCall MG, Hartshorne JM, et al. (1980) Patterns of gastrointestinal cancer in European migrants to Australia; the role of dietary change. Int J Cancer 5:431–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Key TJ, Allen NE, Spencer EA, et al. (2002) The effect of diet on the risk of cancer. Lancet 360:861–868

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Yoshimi I, Ohshima A, Ajiki W, et al. (2003) A comparison of trends in the incidence rate of lung cancer by histological type in the Osaka Cancer Registry, Japan and in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, USA. Jpn J Clin Oncol 33:98–104

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Forman D (2004) Review article: oesophago-gastric adenocarcinoma — an epidemiological perspective. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 20(Suppl 5):55–60

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Chatterjee N, Hartge P, Cerhan JR, et al. (2004) Risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and family history of lymphatic, hematologic, and other cancers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:1415–1421

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Breslow NE (2005) Case control studies. In: Ahrens W, Pigeot I. (eds) Handbook of epidemiology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 287–319

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  33. Kjaerheim K (1999) Occupational cancer research in the Nordic countries. Environ Health Perspect 107(Suppl 2):233–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Mbulaiteye SM, Katabira ET, Wabinga H, et al. (2006) Spectrum of cancers among HIV-infected persons in Africa: the Uganda AIDS-Cancer Registry Match Study. Int J Cancer 118:985–990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Travis LB (2002) Therapy-associated solid tumors. Acta Oncol 41:323–333

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Hakulinen T, Pukkala E, Kenward M, et al. (1990) Changes in cancer incidence in North Karelia, an area with a comprehensive preventive cardiovascular programme. In: Hakama M, Beral V, Cullen V, Parkin DM (eds) Evaluating effectiveness of primary prevention of cancer. International Agency for Research on Cancer Scientific Publications, Lyon, pp 133–148

    Google Scholar 

  37. Jemal A, Cokkinides VE, Shafey O, Thun MJ (2003) Lung cancer trends in young adults: an early indicator of progress in tobacco control (United States). Cancer Causes Control 14:579–585

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Chang MH, Chen CJ, Lai MS, et al. (1997) Universal hepatitis B vaccination in Taiwan and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children. Taiwan Childhood Hepatoma Study Group. N Engl J Med 336:1855–1859

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Weir HK, Thun M., Hankey BF, et al. (2003) Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer 1975–2000, featuring the uses of surveillance data for cancer prevention and control. J Natl Cancer Inst 95:1276–1299

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Barnoya J, Glantz S (2004) Association of the California tobacco control program with declines in lung cancer incidence. Cancer Causes Control 15:689–695

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Sankila R, Démaret E, Hakama M, et al. (eds) (2001) Evaluation and monitoring of cancer screening programmes. European Commission, Brussels-Luxembourg

    Google Scholar 

  42. Fidler HK, Boyes DA, Worth AJ (1968) Cervical cancer detection in British Columbia. A progress report. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw 75:392–404

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Pettersson F, Näslund I, Malker B (1986) Evaluation of the effect of Papanicolaou screening in Sweden: record linkage between a control screening registry and the National Cancer Registry. In: Hakama M, Miller AB, Day NE (eds) Screening for cancer of the uterine cervix. IARC Scientific Publication no. 76. IARC, Lyon

    Google Scholar 

  44. Oshima A, Hanai A, Fujimoto I (1979) Evaluation of a mass screening program for stomach cancer. NCI Monogr 53:181–186

    Google Scholar 

  45. Tsubono Y, Nishino Y, Tsuji I, et al. (2000) Screening for gastric cancer in Miyagi, Japan: evaluation with a population-based cancer registry. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 1:57–60

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Lee KJ, Inoue M, Otani T, et al. (2006) Gastric cancer screening and subsequent risk of gastric cancer: a large-scale population-based cohort study, with a 13-year follow-up in Japan. Int J Cancer 118:2315–2321

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Hakama M, Pukkala E, Heikkila M, et al. (1997) Effectiveness of the public health policy for breast cancer screening in Finland: population based cohort study. BMJ 314:864–867

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Morrison AS (1985) Screening in chronic disease. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  49. Gordon NP, Hiatt RA, Lampert DI (1993) Concordance of self-reported data and medical record audit for six cancer screening procedures. J Natl Cancer Inst 85:566–570

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Moss SM (1991) Case-control studies of screening. Int J Epidemiol 20:1–6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Friedman DR, Dubin N (1991) Case-control evaluation of breast cancer screening efficacy. Am J Epidemiol 133:974–984

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Weiss NS (1998) Analysis of case-control studies of the efficacy of screening for cancer: How should we deal with tests done in persons with symptoms? Am J Epidemiol 147:1099–1102

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Morris JK (2002) Screening for neuroblastoma in children. J Med Screen. 9:56

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Day NE, Williams DR, Khaw KT (1989) Breast cancer screening programmes, the development of a monitoring and evaluation system. Br J Cancer 59:954–958

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Schouten LJ, de-Rijke JM, Schlangen JT, et al. (1998) Evaluation of the effect of breast cancer screening by record linkage with the cancer registry, the Netherlands. J Med. Screen 5:37–41

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. McCann J, Stockton D, Day N (1998) Breast cancer in East Anglia, the impact of the breast screening programme on stage at diagnosis. J Med Screen 5:42–48

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Hakama M, Magnus K, Pettersson F, et al. (1991) Effect of organized screening on the risk of cervical cancer in the Nordic countries. In: Miller A, Chamberlain J, Day N, et al. (eds) Cancer screening. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 153–162

    Google Scholar 

  58. Walter SD, Day NE (1983) Estimation of the duration of a preclinical disease state using screening data. Am J. Epidemiol 118:865–886

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Johannesson G, Geirsson G, Day NE (1978) The effect of mass screening in Iceland 1965–1974, on the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Int J Cancer 21:418–425

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Hisamichi S, Fukao A, Sugawara N, et al. (1991) Evaluation of mass screening programme for stomach cancer in Japan. In: Miller AB, et al. (eds) Cancer screening. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  61. Chu KC, Tarone RE, Chow WH, et al. (1994) Temporal patterns in colorectal cancer incidence, survival, and mortality from 1950 through 1990. J Natl Cancer Inst 86:997–1006

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Chu KC, Tarone RE, Kessler LG, et al. (1996) Recent trends in U.S. breast cancer incidence, survival, and mortality rates. J Natl Cancer Inst 88:1571–1579

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Taplin SH, Mandelson MT, Anderman C, et al. (1997) Mammography diffusion and trends in late stage breast cancer, evaluating outcomes in a population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 6:625–631

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Stockton D, Davies T, Day N, et al. (1997) Retrospective study of reasons for improved survival in patients with breast cancer in east Anglia, earlier diagnosis or better treatment. Br Med J 314:472–475

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Brenner H, Soderman B, Hakulinen T (2002) Use of period analysis for providing more up-to-date estimates of long-term survival rates, empirical evaluation among 370 000 cancer patients in Finland. Int J Epidemiol 31:456–462

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Trimble EL, Carter CL, Cain D, et al. (1994) Representation of older patients in cancer treatment trials. Cancer 74(7 Suppl):2208–2214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Black RJ, Sankaranarayanan R, Parkin DM (1998) Interpretation of population-based cancer survival data. In: Sankaranarayanan R, Black RJ, Parkin DM (eds) Cancer survival in developing countries. IARC Scientific Publication, no. 145, IARC, Lyon, pp 13–17

    Google Scholar 

  68. Erridge SC, Møller H, Price A, Brewster D (2007) International comparisons of survival from lung cancer: pitfalls and warnings. Nat Clin Pract Oncol 4:570–577

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Berrino F, De Angelis R, Sant M, et al. (2007) EUROCARE Working Group. Survival for eight major cancers and all cancers combined for European adults diagnosed in 1995–99: results of the EUROCARE-4 study. Lancet Oncol 8:773–783

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Young JL, Ries LG, Pollack ES (1984) Cancer patient survival among ethnic groups in the United States, 1973–79. J Natl Cancer Inst 73:341–352

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Welch HG, Schwartz LM, Woloshin S (2000) Are increasing 5-year survival rates evidence of success against cancer? JAMA 283:2975–2978

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Peto R, Boreham J, Clarke M, et al. (2000) UK and USA breast cancer deaths down 25% in year 2000 at ages 20–69 years. Lancet 355:1822–1823

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Peto R (2000) Author’s reply, Lancet 356:593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Clauser SB (2004) Use of cancer performance measures in population health, a macro-level perspective. J Natl Cancer Inst Monographs 33:142–154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Sankila R, Black R, Coebergh JWC, et al. (2003) Evaluation of clinical care by cancer registries. IARC Technical Report no. 37. IARC, Lyon

    Google Scholar 

  76. Edwards BK, Brown ML, Wingo PA, et al. (2005) Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975–2002, featuring population-based trends in cancer treatment. J Natl Cancer Inst 97:1407–1427

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Morris E, Forman D, Haward B (2007) The impact of the Calman-Hine report: analysis of breast and colorectal cancer surgical workloads and the degree of surgical site specialization in the Yorkshire region of the UK, 1990–2000. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 16:150–155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  78. Schrag D, Panageas KS, Riedel E, et al. (2002) Hospital and surgeon procedure volume as predictors of outcome following rectal cancer resection. Ann Surg 236:583–592

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Hodgson DC, Zhang W, Zaslavsky AM, et al. (2003) Relation of hospital volume to colostomy rates and survival for patients with rectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 95:708–716

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Parks RW, Bettschart V, Frame S, et al. (2004) Benefits of specialisation in the management of pancreatic cancer: results of a Scottish population-based study. Br J Cancer 91:459–465

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  81. Jones AP, Haynes R, Sauerzapf V, et al. (2007) Travel times to health care and survival from cancers in Northern England. Eur J Cancer Sep 19; [Epub ahead of print]

  82. Menck HR, Cunningham MP, Jessup JM, et al. (1987) The growth and maturation of the National Cancer Data Base. Cancer 80:2296–2304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  83. Warren JL, Klabunde CN, Schrag D, et al. (2002) Overview of the SEER-Medicare data: content, research applications, and generalizability to the United States elderly population. Med Care 40(8 Suppl):IV-3–IV-18

    Google Scholar 

  84. Harlan LC, Clegg LX, Trimble EL (2003) Trends in surgery and chemotherapy for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States. J Clin Oncol 21:3488–3494

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program. National Cancer Institute. http://seer.cancer.gov

  86. Remontet L, Estève J, Bouvier AM, et al. (2003) Cancer incidence and mortality in France over the period 1978–2000. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 51:3–30

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  87. Kamo K, Kaneko S, Satoh K, et al. (2007) A mathematical estimation of true cancer incidence using data from population-based cancer registries. Jpn J Clin Oncol 37:150–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Trials Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK

    Donald Maxwell Parkin

Authors
  1. Donald Maxwell Parkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Donald Maxwell Parkin.

About this article

Cite this article

Parkin, D.M. The role of cancer registries in cancer control. Int J Clin Oncol 13, 102–111 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-008-0762-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-008-0762-6

Key words

Search

Navigation