A roadmap to national breast cancer stage and recurrence data: a way forward When considering what is needed to achieve national breast cancer stage and recurrence data, attendees prioritised a number of key actions and initiatives across the short, medium and long term. These included: 1. The prioritisation and funding of new and enduring health data linkages – There was significant consensus among attendees that health data linkages are critical if Australia is to achieve national breast cancer stage and recurrence data, and to harness collected health data to improve the outcomes of people affected by breast cancer. The need for all state and territory cancer registries to be provided with immediate access to admitted patient care data, MBS and PBS data, and any information from oncology information systems and multidisciplinary team meeting software was also stressed to enable the trialling of new approaches to identify cancer recurrence. 2. The need for simplified, streamlined processes governing health data access: Cancer data as an asset to leverage – Attendees highlighted the significant time and resources currently required for researchers and other stakeholders to access health data, noting that current processes impede the ability for researchers, clinicians, non-profits and other stakeholders to harness the data. 3. The inclusion of breast cancer stage and recurrence data in minimum cancer data sets, with cancer registries resourced to achieve the minimum standards – Attendees stressed the need for national minimum data standards to be established, with breast cancer stage and recurrence included as core data items. Cancer Australia and the AACR were regarded as vital in building consensus about how cancer data items should be defined, methods for data capture and analysis, and data harmonisation. The variation in resourcing across the state and territory cancer registries was noted, with attendees emphasising the need for dedicated, sustained funding for breast cancer stage collection, collation and reporting.
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National Roundtable Report
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