Cancer Registration

Cancer Registration in the West Midlands

Cancer registration in the West Midlands health region is provided by the West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit (WMCIU). The West Midlands health region has a population of around 5.3 million, one tenth of the population of the UK. With this catchment population the WMCIU receives notification of over 40,000 new cases of cancer each year.

The West Midlands cancer registration service has been population based since 1957, although early ledgers of data recording the use of radiotherapy treatment extend back to 1936 for the central Birmingham area. The WMCIU thus holds one of the oldest cancer registries in the UK. Since 1993 the agreed national minimum data set for cancer registration (MDSCR), containing both core and optional items, has been collected. The WMCIU has always collected a database beyond that recommended as the minimum.  In the future the WMCIU will collect the items defined in the new National Cancer Data Set for all cancers diagnosed in West Midlands hospitals.  The WMCIU relies on trusts and treating clinicians to send data to the unit. This is currently mainly paper based but the WMCIU is actively working towards automating the registration process and receiving and processing data from electronic sources.

Data relating to the diagnosis, care and outcome for cancer patients are received from a multitude of sources and are recorded on the WMCIU’s cancer registration database. Information is collected on all regional residents wherever diagnosed or treated and non-residents diagnosed or treated within the region. A regular quarterly exchange of relevant data is then undertaken with the other appropriate regional cancer registries to ensure that they receive appropriate information on the diagnosis and/or treatment of their residents in West Midlands healthcare organisations.