The South Australia Cancer Registry
Recent releases
Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2008 (19 December 2008) (media release and publication)
National Bowel Cancer Screening Program monitoring report 2008 (19 December 2008) (media release and publication)
Non-melanoma skin cancer: General practice consultations, hospitalisation and mortality (15 October 2008) (media release and publication)
Popular titles
 Australia's health 2008 |
 Australia's welfare 2007 |
What is the Cancer Registry?
The Cancer Registry is established under the South Australian Health Commission Act, 1976, Regulation No.73 1991. It was introduced in 1977 to provide statistical information on cancer in South Australia. Notification of cancer is required by law for public and private hospitals and pathology laboratories when a diagnosis of cancer is made. All information sent to the Registry is held under tight security and is protected by the South Australian Health Commission Act.
What information is on the Register?
Information is collected about patients with cancer and includes:
- name and address
- date of birth
- country of birth
- whether the person is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
- clinical details about the cancer
- the notifying institution and doctor.
Personal details, such as name and address, are needed to ensure that accurate information is recorded for each person and that each new cancer is only counted once in the statistics. However, these details are kept strictly confidential. Generally, non-melanoma skin cancers are not recorded on the the register.
Who has access to information on the Register?
More detailed information that does not include the names of cancer patients is made available to the World health Organization, the National Cancer Statistics Clearing House at the AIHW, State and Local Government Authorities, health care institutions, health professionals, and medical researchers. Bona fide health and medical researchers can apply to SA health institutions to obtain information from them about identified cancer patients. Access may be given when certain stringent criteria defined by these institutions are met, and when approval is given by the health institution's Research Ethics Committee.
Additional information
If you would like more information about the SA Cancer Registry, what the information on the register is used for, the way the register operates, or would like more general information about cancer, contact the Cancer Registry or the Cancer Council South Australia toll free on 1800 188 070.