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NDRS Cancer Consolidated Data Set

This product consolidates data from 5 NDRS data sets: National Cancer Registrations, Rapid Cancer Registrations, Cancer Pathways, Rapid Cancer Pathways, and Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT).

Page contents

Cancer Registration data contains information about patients diagnosed with registerable tumours. Cancer registration records are made at both patient and tumour level.

Cancer Pathways data is a summary of clinical events relating to cancer, with data drawn from a range of different sources (such as other NCRAS datasets, Hospital Episode Statistics, Diagnostic Imaging Dataset, Cancer Waiting Times).

SACT provides more details on systemic anti-cancer treatments prescribed (such as regimens and drug details).

Data set versions as presented in the DARS online system

NDRS Cancer Consolidated Data Set

Access method

Data set available in packages

Packages are pre-defined groups of fields and or tables that allow a customer to select from a list that best meets their needs. Packages do not allow a customer to customise their field or table selection.

  • Yes

Period of data coverage

National Cancer Registrations — 1 January 2013 to approximately 2 years behind present day (that is, until approximately autumn 2026, registrations are only complete up to end 2023. In approximately autumn 2026, registrations become complete up to end 2024. This cycle repeats annually).

Rapid Cancer Registrations — 1 January 2018 to 4 months behind present day.

Cancer Pathways — 1 January 2013 to 1 year behind present day (that is, until approximately autumn 2026, events are complete up to end 2024. In approximately autumn 2026, events become complete up to end 2025. This cycle repeats annually)

Rapid Cancer Pathways — mostly 1 January 2018 to 4 months behind present day. Some older records are present, associated with patient in the Rapid Cancer Registrations data from 2018 onwards.

SACT – 1 April 2012 to 4 months behind present day.

Geographical scope of data

England 

Linkable to other data sets

  • Yes

Data collection process

Submitted by: NHS funded secondary care providers

Collected by: National Disease Registration Service 

Frequency: 

National Cancer Registrations and Cancer Pathways: Annual 

Rapid Cancer Registrations, Rapid Cancer Pathways, Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT): Monthly

Clinical coding systems

Does the data set include any standardised systems of coding?

  • ICD10 (International Classification of Diseases classifies diseases and other health conditions)
  • OPCS-4 (Office of Population Census and Surveys classification of interventions and surgical procedures)
  • SNOMED-CT (a structured clinical vocabulary for use in electronic health records)
  • NICIP (National Interim Clinical Imaging Procedure provides consistent recording of imaging procedures)
  • IMD (Indices of Multiple Deprivation measures relative poverty)
Full list of coding systems considered

SNOMED-CT (a structured clinical vocabulary for use in electronic health records)

ICD  (International Classification of Diseases classifies diseases and other health conditions)

OPCS-4  (Office of Population Census and Surveys classification of interventions and surgical procedures)

dm+d  (Dictionary of descriptions and codes which represent medicines and devices in use across the NHS)

NICIP (National Interim Clinical Imaging Procedure provides consistent recording of imaging procedures)

UCUM  (Unified Code for Units of Measure (UCUM) is a code system intended to include all units of measurement)

TFCs (Treatment Function Codes are used to record treatment activities undertaken)

Read Code v2  (A coded thesaurus of clinical terms)

Read Code Clinical Terms v3 (A coded thesaurus of clinical terms)

UICC (Union for International Cancer Control classification of cancer by anatomic disease extent)

IMD  (Indices of Multiple Deprivation measures relative poverty)

Derived fields

Standardised formulation may be applied across multiple data sets to generate commonly derived fields. Any standard derivations applicable to this data set are listed below. Please note that this does not include bespoke derivations created specifically for the individual data set.

LSOA_OF_RESIDENCE (The Lower Super Output Area - lowest level without being disclosive - covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls)

Full list of standard derivations considered

GP_PRACTICE_CODE_TRACED (The GP practice that the patient is registered at, as found when traced against the Person Demographic Service (PDS).)

CCG_OF_RESIDENCE (Clinical Commissioning Group covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls where data relates to pre 1 July 2022. Otherwise ICB Sub Location.)

ICS_OF_RESIDENCE (The Integrated Care System covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls. This will be null for any data relating to earlier than 1 July 2022.)

LA_OF_RESIDENCE (The Local Authority covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls.)

LSOA_OF_RESIDENCE (The Lower Super Output Area (lowest level without being disclosive) covering the area in which the patient’s postcode falls.)

CCG_OF_REGISTRATION (Clinical Commissioning Group which has a commissioning relationship with the GP practice which the patient is registered at where data relates to pre 1 July 2022. Otherwise ICB Sub Location.)

ICS_OF_REGISTRATION (The Integrated Care System covering the area in which the patient’s GP practice falls. This will be null until for any data relating to earlier than 1 July 2022.)

LA_OF_REGISTRATION (The Local Authority covering the area in which the patient’s GP practice falls.)

LSOA_OF_REGISTRATION (The Lower Super Output Area (lowest level without being disclosive) covering the area in which the patient’s GP practice falls.)

Advice and support

Governance of this data set is provided by:

Owning organisation: Department of Health and Social Care

Data Controller: NHS England

Data Processor: NHS England

NHS England provides a variety of functions for the data sets we make available.  Therefore, our knowledge and understanding of the data will vary, impacting the level of advice and support we can provide.

In relation to this data set, we undertake end to end management and can therefore provide a full advice, guidance and support service to users.

Supporting documentation and guidance

ARTICLE

National Disease Registration Service (NDRS)

The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is an international leader in population-based disease registration services, real-world clinical data, quality assurance, surveillance, analysis and monitoring.
ARTICLE

Data sets - NDRS

Discover more about the data sets collected by NDRS and how we use this source data.

Last edited: 3 September 2026 11:28 am