How is the information collected?

The NCRI has produced national figures on cancer incidence since 1994. Cancers are notified to the NCRI from various sources. 85% of cancers are notified through histopathology. NCRI receives regular scheduled histopathology extracts from the various national hospital laboratories the remainder are notified through sources such as Hospital In Patient Enquiry (HIPE) in public hospitals, death certificates and radiotherapy. This data is uploaded onto the Cancer Registration System (CRS) where each cancer is followed up and validated by Cancer Data Registrars by accessing hospitals systems or paper charts. 

The NCRI primarily collects information on the primary course of cancer treatment. This is defined as the treatment plan or regime which is decided soon after diagnosis, based on the clinical status of the patient at diagnosis. This is independent of the time which has elapsed, although in the absence of any other information, a year from diagnosis is generally used as a cut-off. However, the basic principle is whether or not this is primary treatment.