Cancer registration in low-resourced settings: practice and recommendations
Abstract
A Cancer Registry is an information system designed for the collection, storage, management, and analysis of data on persons with cancer, usually covering a defined population. Cancer registration is the process of continual, systematic collection of data on the occurrence and characteristics of cancers with the purpose of helping to assess and control the impact of cancer on the community. Compilation of worldwide standardised  cancer rates allows the identification of countries and regions where particular tumour types are most common. Such differences usually reflect exposure to distinct causative environmental factors. In addition to providing data on the distribution of cancer disease, descriptive epidemiology provides the basis for prevention, health service planning and resource allocation. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the design and implementation of a population-based cancer registry in resource limited settings. The discussion is based on our experience in Ghana.