People and institutions who diagnose or treat a reportable cancer or tumour in accordance with Annex 1 of the Cancer Registration Ordinance (CRO).
Obligation to report and reporting process
With the entry into force of the National Law on Cancer Registration, physicians, hospitals, laboratories and other private or public health institutions are obliged to report cancer. The reporting process is clearly regulated.
Who makes the report?
Which tumours are reportable?
Clinically, cytologically or histologically confirmed diagnoses of the cancer and tumours listed in Annex 1 of the Cancer Registration Ordinance (CRO) are reportable. In addition to invasive cancers, these include in situ tumours, unstable tumours and benign tumours of the central nervous system and pituitary gland. Suspected diagnoses are not reportable.
What information needs to be reported?
A report includes information about the patient, information about the disease and information about the reporting person (basic data). Further information must be reported for adults with breast, intestinal and prostate cancer and for children and adolescents (additional data for adults: predispositions, concomitant diseases).
The detailed list of all reportable information can be found in the Cancer Registration Ordinance (CRO) and in the national data structure.
Reportable information according to CRO (Art. 1 – 4)
Information about the patient
Last name, first name, OASI number, address, place of residence, date of birth, sex.
Information on patient information
The date on which the patient was informed about the cancer registration.
Information on diagnosis
Type of cancer (type and characteristics of the tumour), tumour spreading at the time of diagnosis, disease stage and tumour-specific prognostic factors, examination method and reason for examination, including date.
Information on initial treatment
Type of treatment and treatment objective, basis of treatment decision, date of start of treatment.
Information on the course of the disease
Date and type of event (progression, recurrence, metastasis, transformation).
Information on reporting person
Last name, first name, name of institution, telephone number, address, email.
When does the report have to be made?
Data must be reported by the reporting persons or institutions to the cantonal cancer registry or the Childhood Cancer Registry within four weeks of their collection.
Where is the report made?
Reports are made to the responsible cantonal cancer registry of the patient's canton of residence. If the patient's age at diagnosis is under 20 years, the report is made to the Childhood Cancer Registry.
In what form is the report made?
Cancer-relevant information can be reported in the form of reports (discharge, tumour board, surgery, pathology reports, etc.) or as structured data. Implausible or incomplete information will be supplemented and corrected through inquiries from the cancer registries to the reporting persons. The data must be transmitted in writing and preferably electronically (encrypted/by email). If you have any questions about data reporting, please contact the responsible cantonal cancer registry or the Childhood Cancer Registry.
Downloads and links on obligation to report and reporting process
Reportable cancer according to CROContact: Childhood Cancer Registry
Contact information of cancer registries
IT standards for data exchange
Download: data dictionary