The Cancer Registry of Costa Rica: characteristics, evolution and modernization

Abstract

Population cancer registries are essential to monitor the incidence and measures of cancer control. The registry of tumors of Costa Rica was created in 1976, declaring the obligatory notification of any type of Cancer,
and initiating the collection of data in 1977 becoming one of the first registries of Cancer of Latin America with international recognition. The national registry of tumors of Costa Rica has served so that other countries can learn and implement capture processes and data storage that guarantee the quality of the information. This article describes the process of tumor modernization, and the necessary guidelines to create a decentralized information system, nominal and integrated with all institutions of the health sector, providing timely and reliable information on the management of all cases of tumors that are detected in the country with the purpose of having accurate information for decision making in health surveillance and public policies.