What information is collected about cancer patients?

The NCRI works on behalf of the Department of Health and collects information from all hospitals in Ireland on the number of persons diagnosed with cancer and the types of cancer (or related tumour) they have.  For every new cancer, we register the name, address, sex and date of birth of the patient, PPSN, the type and location of the cancer, how advanced the cancer is and the treatment received by the patient. NCRI also follows up the numbers dying from their cancer or from other causes. The data collected by the NCRI is used for statistical and research purposes and is not used in the clinical care of the patient. Identifiable details are collected to ensure that information, possibly relating to more than one tumour or more than one hospital, can be assigned to the correct patient, and such details are not shared beyond patients, next of kin and treating clinicians/hospitals without consultation.