Processes of Creating a National Cancer Registry System in the Philippines

As a new entrant in the Philippine Cancer Health Information Network, the Philippine Cancer Center (PCC) was pushed to establish the National Cancer Registry as mandated by the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA). The researchers used a rapid review and rapid realist review approaches which made use of evidence from literature and data from 43 key informant interviews and FGDs to create the National Cancer Registry Development Plan. The results were summarized using a cancer data process flow diagram, context-view system architecture model, and logic models detailing the roadmap plans for the next 10 years. The study was able to show how the development of a national cancer registry plan that seeks to unite existing population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) and hospital-based cancer registries (HBCRs) is only possible through extensive collaboration and effective stakeholder engagement. Using an evidence-based approach with expert knowledge and validation, the Philippine National Cancer Registry Development Plan was created, an example of an e-health policy making process from which other developing countries can learn from.