Cancer groups collaborate on European database

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre is working with cancer registries and organisations on a centralised database for cancer research.

The database, to be launched in March, is intended to make it easier for researchers and organisations to access harmonised information in a standardised format, so that they no longer have to approach individual registries for information.

“The current system is rather hit and miss as to which database has the most up-to-date information,” says Nicholas Nicholson, who is leading the cancer information project at the JRC. “It’s important we have one definitive set of data.”