Introduction:

The Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Data Set collects clinical management information on PATIENTS undergoing Chemotherapy in (or funded by) the NHS in England.

In the clinical setting its primary use will be in prescribing and administering Chemotherapy. The standard also specifies secondary uses information about systemic anti-cancer therapy (Chemotherapy) which is required to assist in achieving, supporting and monitoring the NHS Operating Framework, specialist commissioning and related policy.

Note: the term “Chemotherapy” is used synonymously with Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy as it is the term in common usage.

Details of Standard:

The Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Data Set relates to all cancer PATIENTS, both adult and paediatric, in both admitted PATIENT care and outpatient and community settings, who are receiving Chemotherapy treatment for all solid tumour and haematological malignancies, including those treated in clinical trials.

The Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Data Set covers the period from the Start Date of the Systemic Anti-Cancer Drug Programme to the Start Date of the last Systemic Anti-Cancer Drug Cycle.

Note: PATIENTS may end their treatment with an oral or other component taken at home. Although the dispensing of this will be recorded in the final Systemic Anti-Cancer Drug Cycle, it is not possible to confirm that the PATIENT has taken the medication.

Data Set Structure and Transmission:

 Chemotherapy is given over a prolonged period of time, often months or years, comprising repeating and sequential elements.  The PATIENT may attend two or more Health Care Providers during the course of treatment.

In order to track the PATIENT during treatment, the data set must be capable of linking all the elements of care in a consistent and ordered way. In order to achieve this, the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Data Set has a branching structure which links the initial data fields, which will remain constant during the treatment, with detail of each Systemic Anti-Cancer Drug Regimen, Systemic Anti-Cancer Drug Cycle and drug administration.  At the completion or cessation of a Systemic Anti-Cancer Drug Regimen, the outcome section must link back to all previous fields. It must be possible to reconstitute details of each PATIENT’s sequential management from the serial downloads received.

All NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts providing cancer Chemotherapy SERVICES are required to submit monthly data downloads to an agreed timetable, one month in arrears. These data must represent all treatment activity in the month period, including Systemic Anti-Cancer Drug Regimens started and completed or ceased in that time period.

The data repository is hosted by the National Cancer Registration Service (NCRS) Oxford, (formerly the Oxford Cancer Intelligence Unit), and the data is held under their section 251 of the National Health Service Act 2006.

Data downloads will be either the csv or XML format and will uniquely identify the provider.

Data for submission will be formatted as an XML file as per the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Data Set Message Versions page.

Further Guidance:

Detailed technical guidance on the processes required, and any required updates from time to time, is available from the Chemotherapy Intelligence Unit (CIU) in the Technical Guidance documents supporting the programme.