[What are cancer registries?].
BACKGROUND
Population-based cancer registries attempt to collect, process, analyse, store and interpret data on persons with cancer in a certain population (most frequently a geographical area). Hospital-based cancer registries register all cases in a given hospital, usually without knowledge of the background population; the emphasis is to serve the needs of the hospital administration, the hospital cancer program, and, above all, the individual patient.
Registration of persons suffering from cancer is a slow process. Around the year 1900, England and Germany demanded improvement of statistical investigation on spread of cancer in population in order to undertake etiological researches. The oldest example of a modern cancer registry is that in Hamburg. Today there are more than 200 population-based cancer registries, but they cover only 5% of the world population, mainly in developed countries of the world. CANCER REGISTRY OF VOJVODINA: Cancer registry of Vojvodina was established in 1966; it is a member of International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and it is still the only cancer registry from our country whose data are cited in scientific monographs of IARC. The main purpose of cancer registries is to produce statistics on the occurrence of cancer in a defined population and to provide a framework for assessing and controlling the impact of cancer on the community. Cancer registries are essential parts of any rational program of cancer control. Their data can be used in a wide variety of areas of cancer control, ranging from etiological research in epidemiology, through primary and secondary prevention to health-care planning and patient care, so benefiting both the individual and society.
Miladinov-Mikov
Marica
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D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms; D012042:Registries; D015022:Yugoslavia