Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Database

The Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Database (CBCSD) is a national breast screening surveillance system that furthers collaboration in monitoring and evaluating organized breast cancer screening across Canada. Established in 1993, it is operated and maintained by the Cancer Bureau at the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control at Health Canada. Through the Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Initiative, the CBCSD is managed by the Database Management Committee (Appendix 2) and implemented by the Database Technical Subcommittee (Appendix 3).

Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) exist between the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control and 11 of the organized screening programs. The MOU clarify issues of ownership, access, accountability, and confidentiality with respect to data collected by the CBCSD.

The data collected by the CBCSD can be used to generate national statistics, compare data interprovincially and internationally, and provide a larger database to conduct research activities. Research priorities using the CBCSD were identified in October 1999.

The CBCSD currently contains screening information from program inception up to the end of 1998 for the following provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. Test data from Prince Edward Island are currently being analyzed. Because the Yukon and the Northwest Territories do not have a computerized information system, their data are not available to the CBCSD. For more detailed information regarding the data collected, please refer to the 1996 Report online at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/publicat/obcsp-podcs/index.html and its publication in the October 31, 2000 edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal^13.

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