National Cancer Registry Ireland

Data Collection Type
National data collections of health and social care in Ireland
Organisation

National Cancer Registry Ireland, Department of Health

Year established

1991 — established.
1994 — began nationwide cancer registration.

Statement of purpose

The purpose of the NCRI is: 

  • to identify, collect, classify, record, store and analyse information relating to the incidence and prevalence of cancer and related tumours in Ireland 
  • to collect, classify, record and store information in relation to each newly diagnosed individual cancer patient and in relation to each tumour which occurs 
  • to promote and facilitate the use of the data thus collected in approved research projects and in the planning and management of services 
  • to publish an annual report based on the activities of the Registry
  • to furnish advice, information and assistance in relation to any aspect of such service to the Minister.
Coverage

Reporting to the NCRI is national since 1994 and is voluntary. Estimated coverage is 96–97% of all diagnosed cancers.

Description

The NCRI has been collecting comprehensive cancer information for the whole population of the Republic of Ireland since 1994. The information collected is used in research into the causes of cancer, in education and information programmes, and in the planning of a national cancer strategy to deliver the best cancer care to the whole population.

Data content

Includes: type of cancer; site; staging; age and sex; treatments and selected procedures; patient demographics; date and cause of death.

Data providers

Twenty Tumour Registration Officers employed by NCRI working in hospitals around the country. Death certificates collected from Central Statistics Office (CSO); information on hospital episodes contributed by the Healthcare Pricing Office (HIPE data).

Data collection methodology

The NCRI collects cancer data itself: Actively — by employing workers to go to hospitals and other healthcare centres regularly to look through records for new cases of cancer. Passively — by waiting to be notified of new cancer cases by doctors, nurses, laboratories and so on, and by processing death certificates. In recent times, the NCRI has also begun to put the necessary technologies in place to receive data electronically. It is hoped that this will speed up registration in the future.

Data dictionary

Not available

Clinical coding scheme

International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD 10); International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD O) - 3rd Edition; ICD10 Australian Modification (AM) Australian Classification of Health Interventions (ACHI) for procedures; The Classification of Malignant Tumors (TNM) 5 staging system.

Size of national collection

Approximately 40,000 records created on average annually (new tumours).

Publication frequency

Data is collected daily and reported on annually. Research projects also publish its findings when complete. As the data on the website is updated regularly, the online cancer rates and data download may differ from the Registry’s published report.

Accessing data

On-line cancer rates; data-set download; data requests; annual reports.

Open data portal access

No

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