This dataset reports the percentage of new cancer cases diagnosed at an early stage (stage 1 or 2), providing a critical measure of early detection and timely intervention. It includes a wide range of cancer sites such as breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and others. Early-stage diagnosis is associated with better treatment outcomes and survival rates, making this indicator a key focus for cancer control strategies. The data supports analysis across various population groups and geographies, including the Birmingham and Solihull (BSol) area.
Rationale
Diagnosing cancer at an early stage significantly improves the chances of successful treatment and long-term survival. This indicator helps monitor progress in early detection efforts and supports initiatives aimed at increasing awareness, screening uptake, and timely access to diagnostic services.
Numerator
The numerator includes cases of cancer diagnosed at stage 1 or 2 for the following cancer sites: oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung, melanoma of skin, breast, cervix, uterus, ovary, prostate, testis, kidney, bladder, Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid, larynx, oropharynx, oral cavity, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Data is sourced from NHS Digital's National Disease Registration Service.
Denominator
The denominator includes all cases of cancer diagnosed at any known stage (1 through 4) for the same set of cancer sites listed above. This data is also sourced from NHS Digital's National Disease Registration Service.
Caveats
The COVID-19 pandemic affected both clinical and data quality processes, reducing the availability of stage data for cancer registrations in 2019 and 2020. Stage completeness dropped from 85% in 2018 to 76% in 2019, before rising to 81% in 2020. Additionally, this indicator is not case-mix adjusted due to the complexity of applying such adjustments across multiple geographic breakdowns and the statistical instability of small area data.
External references
For more information, refer to the NDRS Case-Mix Adjusted Stage Technical Document.
Click here to explore more from the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Partnerships Outcome Framework.
Cancers diagnosed at stage 1 or 2 - ICP Outcomes Framework - Birmingham and Solihull