NSW Cancer Registry
The NSW Cancer Registry (NSWCR) maintains records of people with cancer in NSW. The data captured within the registry provides useful insights into the impact of cancers, and how this has changed over time. Notification of new cancer cases and cancer deaths is required under the Public Health Act 2010.
The NSWCR is the first Australian population-based cancer registry to include data on cancer stage, treatment and quality of care. Treatment delivered in the majority of hospitals in the public sector is covered, with data from the remaining public hospitals and the private sector being included in the future.
Further expansion of the NSWCR to include a broader range of data items is planned.
Data coverage
The NSWCR contains demographic, incidence and death details for people diagnosed with cancer in NSW since 1972. It also includes these details for residents of NSW diagnosed with cancer in other Australian states and territories.
All primary malignant neoplasms, and in-situ melanoma and breast cancer are included.
The NSWCR contains clinical data relating to episodes of care for people treated for cancer in NSW. Clinical data are currently available for 2013, with additional data to be added as they become available. The NSWCR does not currently have population coverage of clinical data.
Clinical data relating to episodes of care from 2008 to 2012 are available in the NSW Clinical Cancer Registry (2008–2012).
Data sources
Data are received from pathology laboratories, hospitals, radiotherapy and medical oncology departments, aged care facilities and the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Electoral Roll data from the NSW Electoral Commission are provided to the Cancer Institute NSW for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy of records on people diagnosed with cancer.
Data submission
The Cancer Notification Portal enables the submission of notifications of cancer cases and clinical information to be provided to the Institute in an electronic format, by Private facilities, Aged Care Facilities and Outpatient Oncology Services.
Data availability
To see data available for research, please visit the appropriate data request page:
To view summary statistics for incidence and mortality data, visit our Cancer statistics NSW portal.
Data elements
Data items in the NSWCR available for research are provided in the NSWCR data dictionary. See the data availability section above for more detail on requesting data.
If a full systems data dictionary is required for extract or development work, please contact CINSW-CCR@health.nsw.gov.au.
Data quality
Incidence and mortality data:
Routine data quality control measures include:
- use of International Association of Cancer Registries’ conventions
- data checks from the International Agency for Research on Cancer program
- monitoring of notifications
- validation of data entry
- periodic audits of coding accuracy
- reconciliation of information from multiple sources
- examination of multiple registrations
- verification using the NSW Electoral Roll data
- collaboration with medical experts and other cancer registries.
Information about quality caveats for incidence and mortality data are available at:
- Caveat on Use of Data - 2021 preliminary incidence data (PDF)
- Caveat on Use of Data Item - Place of Death (PDF)
- Caveat on Use of Data Item - Degree of Spread (PDF)
- Caveat on Use of Data Item - Day of Diagnosis (PDF)
Clinical data:
The NSWCR does not currently have population coverage of clinical episodes of care data. The NSWCR is working to increase the coverage and quality of clinical data items.
Data custodian
Data Governance Manager
Cancer Institute NSW
Locked Bag 2030
St Leonards NSW 1590
All questions relating to this dataset should be directed to:
Email: CINSW-DARenquiries@health.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 02 8374 5600
