Chapter 7 Population Data BC
The BC Cancer Registry continues to be an active supporter of Population Data BC, a multi-university resource that facilitates linkages of administrative health data for health research purposes. The BC Cancer Registry has contributed data to this facility for several years and is one of two core holdings of BC Cancer Agency data available to researchers via this platform. BC Cancer Agency staff also support the facility through membership on the Data Stewardship Working Group, as well as by reviewing study applications and providing assistance in understanding and interpreting our data. In recent years, BC Cancer has increased the data provided to Population Data BC to include population-based cancer staging data for five cancers in addition to the cancer incidence data we have provided for several years.
Researchers who request access to data at Population Data BC are required to complete a detailed data application, obtain research ethics approval and complete necessary privacy training. Data remain on a secure server, but are available through secure connections to researchers anywhere in Canada.
These projects are investigating a diversity of important health research questions. A sample of these include whether certain prescriptions drugs are associated with cancer risk, how to estimate costs associated with cancer in our health system, and study the patterns and quality of care for breast cancer patients in BC.
By making the cancer registry data available in this way, we have made it possible for health researchers to securely access the data and potentially link it to other important health data including hospital separations, physician billings, home and community care information and prescription drugs. For more information about Population Data BC, please visit their website at www.popdata.bc.ca.