Practical issues, including the use of computers, selection and training of professional, administrative and technical staff are included, along with quality control procedures, essential to assure the integrity of information kept by the registry. Follow-up procedures, sources of population data, calculation and interpretation of incidence rates and survival rates, and the differences between case-control studies and cohort studies (based on registry data) are also described. Prevention and control applications, and legal issues relative to the confidentiality of information in the data files are also examined. This book covers the goals and objectives of U.S. central cancer registries; the kinds of information they can produce and how this information can be used. The practical considerations involved in case-finding are discussed, covering sources of case reports, and how the central registry works with doctors and hospitals.