Cancer Australia has launched National Cancer Control Indicators (NCCI), Australia’s first interactive website of national data across the continuum of cancer control.
The federal government agency says the NCCI website represents a significant advance in how population-based cancer data in Australia is consolidated and presented.
Cancer Australia CEO Dr Helen Zorbas says cancer is the greatest cause of health burden in Australia and, despite much progress, remains a pressing healthcare challenge.
“Access to the latest, quality national data is critical to our understanding the impact of cancer in Australia,” she said.
“NCCI is a unique, dynamic national resource that, for the first time, brings together trusted data to better illuminate Australia’s cancer landscape and inform where our efforts can be best placed.
“It forms a bridge between information and outcomes, enabling users to see interconnections and relationships across cancer control, to monitor trends and benchmark internationally.
“This will enhance understanding, stimulate inquiry and inform future directions in cancer control, whether in research, policy or clinical care.
“However, people affected by cancer, as well as the broader community, can also use the website with the assurance it is a trustworthy, authoritative source of population-based data contributing to the national effort to improve cancer outcomes.”
In developing NCCI, Cancer Australia established seven cancer-control indicator groups: prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial care, research and outcomes.
NCCI allows users to see visual representations of data on each indicator through interactive charts. Data can also be filtered by tumour type and by category, such as population group, sex, age and socio-economic status.
NCCI is designed to be updated as new data becomes available and will incorporate new sources of national data.
“It’s an important and exciting step forward for cancer control in Australia and one which Cancer Australia has been pleased to lead,” Dr Zorbas said.
In developing NCCI, Cancer Australia has involved, and will continue to collaborate with Australia’s key national cancer-data custodians, including the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the federal Department of Health.
