The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the American Cancer Society, is a nationwide oncology outcomes database for more than 1,400 CoC-Approved Cancer Programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Some 75% of all newly diagnosed cases of cancer in the United States are captured at the institutional level and reported to the NCDB. The NCDB, begun in 1989, now contains approximately 20 million records from hospital cancer registries across the United States. These data are used to explore trends in cancer care, create regional and state benchmarks for participating hospitals, and to serve as the basis for quality improvement.

Data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed. Data collected include:

• patient characteristics
• tumor staging and histology characteristics
• type of first course treatment administered
• disease recurrence
• survival

These data elements are collected and submitted to the NCDB by cancer registries from CoC-Approved Cancer Programs using nationally standardized data item and coding definitions.

The NCDB also conducts hypothesis-based special studies that allow for the ad hoc collection of specific data to address important cancer problems. Participation by CoC-Approved Cancer Programs in these studies is mandated by the Cancer Program Standards set forth by CoC. Thus, the NCDB collects both a traditional data set (longitudinal) and one-time and ad hoc data sets (cross-sectional).

Data confidentiality is of prime importance, and the NCDB has pro-actively worked to continually ensure and maintain compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 privacy regulations established by the Federal Government in 2003.

Public Access to Cancer Data

Commission on Cancer

ACoS Patient Education