Perspektiven für die registerbasierte Krebsforschung in DKG-zertifizierten Zentren

In cancer centers certified by the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, DKG), patients are treated according to standardized criteria and registry data on tumor characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, codes, and quality indicators. These high-quality registry data from standardized quality-controlled routine care may be used for cancer research. Two research subjects can be defined: the implementation of new guideline recommendations into routine care, including examination of their effectiveness; and the investigation of research questions from guidelines with poor evidence, for which no randomized controlled trials are available. Neither of these research areas is currently systematically addressed. Certified centers use different systems for cancer registration. From this documentation it is possible to produce a uniform format from which the OncoBox research can be generated. This tool allows different research projects to be conducted. The current article describes some examples. Linkage with other registries may be necessary for specific research projects. Of special importance are the clinical cancer registries of the federal states of Germany, because they also collect data on recurrence and survival, which is especially important for studies on the effect of certain interventions.