Data and Registry

Chairs

Jennifer Lowe

Chief Research Officer

Resonance

Venkatraman Radhakrishnan

Professor

Medical and Pediatric Oncology, Cancer Institute, Chennai

Goal Statement

Facilitate the collection of high-resolution data on pediatric cancer.

Key Focus Areas

  • Establish a REDCap Database for collecting HBCR data and implement a backup server to ensure data security and integrity. (Complete) – Same (No Change) Just Remove this point from Purpose - The National INPHOG HBCCR will start by Next Month.
  • Training CRCs, Data Managers, and Cancer registry staff for accurate data entry and management in the HBCR database.
  • Increase centres contributing data to HBCR – update as mentioned below.

Glimpses of Work

Context

Establishing a REDCAP database for Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) data collection and implementing a backup server is essential for efficient data management, security, and integrity in cancer research and patient care. HBCR programs collect comprehensive data on cancer patients, including demographics, medical history, treatment details, and outcomes. This data is essential for monitoring cancer trends, improving treatment protocols, and conducting research.

REDCap, a secure, customizable web-based application, addresses key challenges such as handling large data volumes, ensuring data security and integrity, and providing easy accessibility for researchers and clinicians.

Additionally, the implementation of a backup server ensures data redundancy, disaster recovery, and compliance with healthcare regulations. This setup safeguards critical patient information, ensuring that data is not lost due to hardware failures, cyberattacks, or other disasters, and supports ongoing efforts to improve cancer care and outcomes through reliable data management.

Purpose
  • The Protocol and the HBCR Form has been created and approved by the ethics committee.
  • The server for REDCap has been installed in Chennai and is in use for Chennai-based Cancer Registry.
  • The National INPHOG HBCCR will start by Next Month.
Status/Next Steps

Providing training to healthcare providers and staff involved in data collection on how to use the REDCap system effectively and accurately enter data into the database.

Context

Training Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs), Data Managers, and cancer registry staff for accurate data entry and management in the Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) database is essential to ensure high-quality, reliable data. Proper training ensures that staff can effectively use the REDCap database, maintain data accuracy, uphold security standards, and contribute to meaningful cancer research and patient care improvements. This training encompasses understanding the REDCap system, data entry protocols, and best practices for data management, which collectively enhance the overall integrity and utility of the cancer registry data.

Purpose

We have conducted a two-day training workshop on “Understanding Data Research and Clinical Trials” for over 70 Clinical Research Coordinators and Cancer Registry Staff during PHOCON, held on 25th November 2023 in Chennai.

World Health Assembly
World Health Assembly
Training workshop for clinical research coordinators and cancer registry staff held in Chennai, on 25th November 2023
Status/Next Steps

The plan is now to have an agreed curriculum and self-paced content on video which can be used repeatedly. We plan to develop this by the end of 2024.

Context & Purpose

A key challenge in strengthening India’s pediatric cancer data ecosystem is the limited number of centres contributing to the Hospital-Based Childhood Cancer Registry (HBCCR). Many institutions face constraints such as a lack of dedicated staff, limited awareness of registry processes, and variable data quality.

The purpose of this goal is to expand participation across more INPHOG and non-INPHOG centres, ensure timely and accurate data reporting, and build sustainable capacity for pediatric cancer registration through continuous mentoring and quality monitoring.

Status

To address this, ICCI with INPHOG have deployed five Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) across selected centres to support data entry and management for HBCCR/PBCCR, covering around 8–10 institutions.

Conducted the Pediatric Cancer Registry Data Meeting and CRC Workshop (January 31–February 1, 2025) in Chennai, attended by over 150 delegates, including 18 CRCs and 8 faculty members. (Attached)

Sessions covered topics such as registry data entry, REDCap database training, data quality improvement, and ethics in data handling.

The meeting also featured the release of HBCCR and PBCCR reports and the launch of the Tamil Nadu Population-Based and INPHOG Hospital-Based Registries, inaugurated by the Hon’ble Health Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Next Steps

Expand CRC coverage to additional centres through new funding opportunities to ensure wider registry participation.

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