The call for data was released in September 2016 to more than 80 cancer registries in 40 countries.
All registries whose incidence data were accepted into Cancer Incidence in Five Continents IX or X are eligible to participate in SURVCAN-3. Other registries are also eligible, provided their data quality indices on incident cancers are deemed to be satisfactory for at least some cancer sites or at least part of the diagnosis period being studied.
Each participating registry should work directly with IARC to agree on their specific inclusion criteria (e.g. number of cancer sites, number of cases). In general, there should be a minimum of 25 cases for each cancer site (diagnosed by any means) and a substantial number of cases for potential 5-year follow-up. Once the criteria are agreed upon, the registry should submit their available (preliminary) data to IARC. We will then assess the dataset to determine the initial quality of the data, and will determine the level of support required to improve the data as necessary. If financial support is needed, a collaborative research agreement (CRA) will be drafted.
Once the data with complete follow-up are submitted, they will be centrally processed at IARC using standard protocols under expert guidance. During this time, IARC will communicate with each registry as needed to address any queries. The final decision on accepting individual registry data for survival analyses is dependent on the respective data quality indices.
All accepted data will be centrally analysed at IARC. In particular, we will calculate:
- 1-, 3-, and 5-year relative and crude survival rates
- Conditional survival
- Survival trends (where possible)
If desired, registry personnel will be involved in hands-on exercises on data analysis. Further information on how SURVCAN-3 aims to improve local capacity can be found here.
The results will then be presented in an IARC Scientific Publication that will include background, methods, overall results, and interpretation sections, as well as individual registry sections. A series of peer-reviewed journal articles will also be published. Participating registries will be credited as co-authors where applicable, as per the Vancouver Protocol for authorship.
