Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program

The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program is a source of information on cancer incidence, treatment, and survival in the United States. The SEER program began in 1973 as a result of the National Cancer Act of 1971 which required the collection, analysis, and dissemination of cancer data by NCI about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. SEER currently collects data from population-based cancer registries that cover roughly 28 percent of the US population. Registries that participate in the SEER program collect data on patient demographics, tumor site, tumor morphology, first course of treatment as well as long term follow-up for vital status. The SEER program also collects data on the stage of disease at diagnosis and patient survival. In 2000, the Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR), the population-based central cancer registry for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, was selected as one of four SEER expansion registries. Participation in the SEER program provided the resources to expand and improve the KCR quality assurance program, to ensure complete reporting from all sources and to record more detailed data for research purposes. Participation in the SEER program also gave KCR the opportunity to significantly improve the accuracy and completeness of follow-up information on all cancer patients in the Registry. KCR currently collects uniform, high quality data that meet SEER standards for approximately 29,500 new primary cancer cases occurring in Kentucky residents each year.