A proposal on cancer data quality checks: one common procedure for European cancer registries

The aim of population-based cancer registries (CRs) is to obtain information from all new cases in a well-defined geographic area to assess the magnitude of the cancer burden and its evolution. The reliability and utility of the information provided by CRs depends on the quality of the collected data. A variety of methods and tools have been used to checks the data validity of CRs. Therefore the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR) in cooperation with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has been working to establish a comprehensive and standardised list of cancer quality checks to be adopted by European CRs and in the European projects that would overcome the current fragmented and sometimes conflicting situation regarding validation of data collected for different purposes. Outcome of this project is an ENCR-endoresed recommendation document, titled "A proposal on Cancer Data Quality Checks: one common procedure for European Cancer Registries", reporting final agreements on case definition, variables and their format and data quality control list.JRC.I.2-Public Health Policy Suppor