National Cancer Data Repository
The national cancer data repository has been described as the 'jewel in the crown' of NCIN. It contains merged data on all cancer patients in England from the sources described below. Each of the English cancer registries holds a copy of the database; applications for data from the repository may be made in line with NCIN's data access policies.
The database is updated yearly and the specification given in the pages linked below is for the 2008 version of the repository. This will include cancers diagnosed to 2008 and is expected to be complete in early 2011. Previous versions of the repository have a similar specification; the details of any request should be discussed with the relevant cancer registry at an early stage.
Merged data from the eight English cancer registries covering the period 1990 to 2008. This dataset provides details of cancer diagnoses and demographic information about cancer patients.
Basic information from the Office for National Statistics database of cancer registrations in England, allowing the repository to be reconciled to official national statistics.
Data on inpatient and day case hospital episodes for patients with a diagnosis of cancer in the admitted patient Hospital Episodes Statistics database. This dataset provides clinical information about diagnoses and operations as well as further demographic and administative details.
Data from the national bowel, lung, and head & neck cancer clinical audits. These data provide a range of detailed information on diagnosis and treatment of patients for specific cancers.
An indirect linkage between the NCDR and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) also exists and applications for linked data may be made to CPRD. CPRD collects data from primary care practices throughout the UK. This linkage provides vital information on primary care that is not included in the other available datasets.