NAoMe Quarterly Clinical Performance Indicator Report April 2020 to March 2023 – published October 2024

The RCRD is compiled mainly from information collected within the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD). Data in the RCRD are made available more quickly than gold standard Cancer Registration records however, the range of data items available is limited and many data items provided within the Cancer Registration records (and linked cancer datasets) are unavailable. For breast cancer this means information on tumour characteristics such as estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status is not available. Additionally, the RCRD does not have complete coverage of all people with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer within England during the reporting period.

Patient-level records in the RCRD were provided linked to other routine national datasets, including Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care (HESAPC) records. The datasets were released to the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) in May 2024 (RCRD), and July 2024 (HESAPC), and contain data submitted to the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) by English NHS trusts for people with a diagnosis of breast cancer between 01 January 2018 and 31 December 2023 (RCRD) and between 01 January 2016 and 31 March 2024 (HESAPC). For the NAoMe HESAPC data is required to define the cohort of people included, specifically it is currently essential in identifying patients with evidence of metastatic disease within 12 months of diagnosis for whom the cancer stage is not recorded as stage 4.

The NAoMe quarterly reports now include audit performance indicators as well as data quality metrics. Going forward, the team will continue development work, in consultation with stakeholders, to determine which further audit indicators are appropriate for quarterly reporting using the RCRD and linked data. These indicators are likely to concern the diagnostic pathway, treatments and outcomes.

The specific data items reported within this quarterly report were chosen based on the availability of information within the RCRD. Stage is essential for accurately identifying and describing the cohort of people with breast cancer, as well as understanding subsequent use of treatments and outcomes. Performance status was chosen as it is important across cancers for assessing the eligibility of patients for different treatments.