Abstract

LUNET, Nuno  and  PIMENTEL, Pedro. Population based cancer registry in Portugal: reflection on its current status and future perspectives. Arq Med [online]. 2012, vol.26, n.3, pp.124-128. ISSN 2183-2447.

Most of the Portuguese territory has been covered by Regional Cancer Registries (RCR) for more than 20 years, with an important potential for supporting cancer prevention and control. However, there is an ample scope for quantitative and qualitative improvement of the information produced by the registries, with the RCR placed in different phases of this process. The detailed description of the methods of data collection used by each registry and the systematic discussion of the different indicators of data quality are essential to increase the transparency of cancer registration in each context and to design strategies to correct the specific limitations currently observed and for general improvement of data quality. In the latest years, the National Coordination for the Oncological Diseases defined cancer registration as a priority in the context of cancer prevention and control, and has developed important efforts to provide the appropriate resources for the RCR to be able to produce, interpret and use robust information on different indicators of the burden of cancer, in due time. In a context of scarce resources and given the asymmetries in the activities and outputs of the registries, it is essential that the existing structures get involved in an effective collaboration and that the use of the information and the systematic discussion of internationally accepted quality indicators are considered a priority.

Keywords : Cancer registration; Surveillance; Prevention and control.

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