What is NOCR ?

NOCR is a special purpose registry having a record of the number of oral pre cancerous lesions and cancer cases detected every year throughout the country.

• Dental professionals can use this registry data in defined areas to make important public health decisions that maximize the effectiveness of health funds, such as the placement of screening programs.
• Oral cancer registries are valuable research tools for those interested in the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer. Fundamental research on the epidemiology of oral cancer can be initiated using the accumulated data.
• Lifetime follow-up is an important aspect of the oral cancer registry. Current patient follow-up serves as a reminder to dental professionals to schedule regular clinical examinations and provides accurate survival information.

If you are interested in any form of oral cancer related data for any research, study or other clinical reasons your search ends at the NOCR Centre.

What does NOCR do ?

We serve the public by collecting oral cancer data, conducting surveillance and research into the causes, controls, and cures of oral cancer and communicating results to the public. We monitor the occurrence of oral cancer, both incidence (new diagnoses) and mortality (deaths).We operate with strict guidelines to maintain patient confidentiality.

What information is maintained in the NOCR and how is it used?

NOCR maintains a wide range of demographic and medical information, such as:

• Demographic information includes age, gender, race/ethnicity, birthplace and residence.
• Medical history includes physical findings, screening information, occupation and any history of a previous oral cancer. State laws make cancer a reportable disease.
• Diagnostic findings include types, dates and results of procedures used to diagnose oral cancer.
• Oral cancer information, including primary site, cell type and extent of the disease.
• Oral cancer therapy, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone, or immunotherapy.
• Follow-up, including annual information about treatment, recurrence, and patient status. Public health and medical providers utilize these data in a wide variety of ways.

What is the data used for?

NOCR data are used to:

• Monitor the number of new oral cancer cases;
• Evaluate patient's quality of life and implement procedures for improvement.
• Provide follow-up information for oral cancer surveillance.
• Examine disparities in oral cancer risk, treatment and survival.
• Examine treatment choices and other predictors of survival.
• Analyze referral patterns.
• Measure the success of oral cancer screening programs.
• Respond to public concerns and questions about oral cancer.
• Retrieval of information by registered users is made easy.
• Conduct research to find the causes and cures of oral cancer.
• Develop educational programs for health care providers, patients and the general public.

The NOCR Advantage

NOCR Centers will be hubs providing online ready sources of oral cancer data to hospitals/ institutions who need detailed information about the incidence and prevalence of oral cancer cases. Rehabilitation of oral cancer patients based on their patient history can be undertaken in the form of physical restoration services and psycho – social counseling. Child Oral Cancer rehabilitation centers can avail academic assistance, workshops, counseling via entertainment programs and other fun activities

About our data

Information on oral cancer diagnosed is collected and maintained in a central register to provide a national cancer dataset on the incidence of oral cancer. This data is subject to rigorous quality assurance, including external checks developed by the Indian Dental Association (IDA), ensuring that our data conforms to the highest international standards in cancer registration. Datasets are produced routinely for annual incidence reports, specific research projects, for service planning and evaluation and other general enquires.

The Registry's confidentiality policy can be found here. Please read this policy before making a data request, or downloading incidence and/or survival data.

NOCR Centers identifying high-risk groups for proactive action to be taken

The information that NOCR collects helps identify groups of people who are more likely to get a certain kind of cancer. Hospitals and institutions can use this information to try to figure out why. They will find that some people aren’t getting the cancer screening tests they need, or they’re doing things that make them more prone to get oral cancer, or that something in their home or workplace (smokeless tobacco) is causing oral cancer. Identifying the high-risk groups, plus ensuring their confidentiality and then ensuring that proactive steps be taken for screening and detection is most important for saving lives and a healthier living.

What has NOCR accomplished ?

• Is internationally recognized for its high quality data
• Receives major grants to investigate the causes, prevention and the cures of cancer
• Brings millions of research dollars to India
• Provides information on oral cancer rates among the diverse race/ethnicity groups
• Publishes special reports on many oral cancer types; and
• Provides the public access to state, regional, and country level oral cancer incidence and mortality rates

How does NOCR ensure confidentiality of data?

NOCR was established to serve as a key resource for research into the causes and cures of oral cancer. NOCR has very stringent policies and procedures to ensure that oral cancer data reported are maintained with the highest degree of confidentiality and privacy.

Oral cancer researchers must go through a rigorous process to access any NOCR data. Confidentiality of patient identifying information and related medical data is strictly maintained at each oral cancer registry. Aggregate data are analyzed and published without any patient identifiers in order to ensure patients’ rights.