Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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What is the National Cancer Registry?

The National Cancer Registry (NCR) is a Ministry of Health (MOH) supported service to collect information about cancers in Malaysia. The information allows us to estimate the incidence of cancer, and to evaluate its risk factors and treatment in the country. Such information is useful for assisting the MOH, Non-Governmental Organizations, private providers and industry in program planning and evaluation, leading to cancer prevention and control.

Malaysia has several regional cancer registries like those in Penang, Sabah and Sarawak. The National Cancer Registry (NCR) is established to integrate the various regional registries and other data sources to achieve nation-wide cancer registration. And all agree there is an urgent need to do this.

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What are the purposes of the NCR?

The objectives of the NCR are to:

1. Determine the disease burden attributable to cancer by quantifying the magnitude of cancer morbidity and mortality, and its geographic and temporal trends in Malaysia.

2. Identify subgroups in the population at high risk of cancer to whom cancer prevention effort should be targeted.

3. Identify potential risk factors involved in cancer.

4. Evaluate cancer treatment, control and prevention programme.

5. Stimulate and facilitate epidemiological research on cancer.

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How is the NCR organized?

The NCR is sponsored by the Ministry of Health and supported by several of its organizations:

• The MOH Oncology and Pathology services

• The Cancer Research Centre, IMR

• The Clinical Research Centre (CRC) of Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
  The CRC has established a Cancer Registry Unit to provide the functional capacity for cancer registration. It maintains the registry national databases.

An Advisory Committee has been established to oversee the operations of the NCR. The MOH, Universities, professional bodies and private healthcare providers are represented on this committee to ensure that the NCR stay focus on its objectives, and to assure its continuing relevance and justification.

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Who reports to the NCR?

The NCR receives data on cancer from 3 main sources:

1. The Ministry of Health hospital discharge information system

2. The National Vital Registration system (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara)

3. And most important of all, the individual doctors who provide cancer diagnostic services or who care for cancer patients, and voluntarily report data to the NCR.

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What are the reporting procedures?

Reporting cancer data to the NCR is extremely simple.

1. There is no hassle and no forms to complete.

2. Just submit a return monthly on all new cases of cancer seen in your institution.

3. Only 7 items of data required (Patient’s name, IC, age, sex, ethnicity, cancer site or primary organ or biopsy specimen, and cancer histopathology if known.

4. For institutions with information system, reporting is as simple as a monthly printout from the computer.

5. For institutions without such system, the NCR can provide free software for this purpose if you like.

Download Sample Report (with instructions) Now!

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How can I participate in the NCR?

For the NCR to succeed, ideally all doctors who have anything to do with cancer ought to report to the NCR. Unlike communicable disease, cancer however is not a reportable disease. We urge you to do your bit for your community, and help NCR obtain the information so crucial to cancer prevention and control.

To participate, just simply register your centre with the NCR.
Click here to register online

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What are the benefits of participation?

Apart from doing your bit for your community, here are some other benefits to participating in NCR:

• Invitation to all functions organized by the NCR.

• Acknowledgement in all publications of the NCR.

• Personal copy of all NCR publications free of charge.

• Free listing in the “Directory of Oncology and Pathology Services in Malaysia”, an annual publication by NCR.

• Free listing in the NCR’s web site. Click here for listing of NCR participants

• Tap into a network of like-minded people from diverse professional disciplines and backgrounds.

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What about confidentiality?

Current legislation allows doctors to release their patients’ data to persons demonstrating a need, which is essential to public health and safety. The NCR meets this requirement.
The NCR have also developed strict policies and procedures to maintain confidentiality in disclosure of data.

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