Pathology Datasets
A number of reports, including the Cancer Reform Strategy, have indicated that information on histopathology and cytology is not being used and transferred as effectively as it might be. The NCIN is therefore beginning to address this through its Clinical Outcomes Programme with the involvement of Gill Lawrence (UKACR) and Tim Helliwell (Royal College of Pathologists).
As part of this NCIN workstream, a 6-month review is being initiated to investigate what pathology data are collected, by whom, and in what format. It also aims to identify the key requirements and constraints for enabling the meaningful transfer of pathology data. To achieve this, the NCIN has initiated a series of consultations with the Cancer Registries, MDTs, pathology labs and systems suppliers. As information is collected and themes emerge, more detailed consultations will be set up in order to define a number of possible, actionable recommendations.
The Cancer Reform Strategy also states that core information from the Royal College of Pathology (RCPath) datasets will be included in the data provided to Cancer Registries. These datasets define what information should be collected for pathology reports for the different cancers. However, pathology data are mainly recorded as text-based reports which aren't necessarily structured and the formats can be enormously variable. This raises issues of consistency in terms of reporting and also requires substantial time and resource dedication to code it for cancer registration. It has also been raised, in the National Cancer Dataset Review, that there are further issues around consistency of SNOMED coding since 'different vintages' of SNOMED codes are used. Therefore, the potential for coding of pathology data and how the Royal College of Pathologists datasets could be implemented most effectively will also be considered in this review. Input from the NCIN Site Specific Clinical Reference Groups, the Royal College of Pathologists, Cancer Registries and systems suppliers will be necessary to address this. Through these discussions, it is also hoped that some clarity will be defined around the strategic relationships between relevant contributing bodies in order to facilitate progress.
