BMJ 1994;309:821-822 (1 October)

Editorials

The future of cancer registries

The abolition of regional health authorities raises questions about the future of the 12 regional cancer registries in England and Wales. Their survival will now depend on their ability to persuade district health authorities that they are essential for purchasing. This in turn will depend on how quickly they can acquaint purchasers with their role and function.

Cancer registration was introduced by clinicians in the 1930s to evaluate new treatments such as radium therapy. It has come to be identified with narrowly epidemiological aims, yet most registries hold a wealth of data that are vital for evaluating health care - for example, on treatment, tumour stage, place of treatment, consultant, and place of death. Although notification is voluntary, the registries achieve over 90% ascertainment for most cancers.1 They contribute population data to the national cancer registration system at the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, which in turn publishes annual . . . [Full text of this article]


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Future of cancer registries
Nicholas James and Gill Lawrence
BMJ 1994 309: 1514. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • James, N., Lawrence, G. (1994). Future of cancer registries. BMJ 309: 1514-1514 [Full text]  
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ