BIOSTATISTICS AND CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Since November 1st 1969, when the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was founded, a unit for Biostatistics and Cancer Epidemiology was established in conjunction with the Pathology Department. It comprised few doctors and employees to deal with the patients' records for preparation of monthly and annual statistical reports on manual basis.

By time, increase of cases presenting to NCI raised the responsibilities of this unit necessitating increase of doctors and employees specialized in statistics and cancer epidemiology. So it was logic to separate this unit for Pathology Department to be a specific department since July 2002 to deal efficiently with its duties.

Teaching staff and employees accomplished their work manually till 1992 where computerized information of NCI was established. This system involved a large number of computers covering different departments for receiving and dealing with patients' data rapidly and efficiently to go with the increasing number of patients to facilitate data retrieval

The department consists of 4 specialties:

The department includes scientific and administrative staff. There are seven teaching staff (3 professors, 2 assistant professors & 2 lecturers) in addition to 5 assisting staff (2 assistant lecturers & 3 demonstrators). The department includes also 27 technicians for the information system (2 physicians, 5 computer programmers and system analysts, 2 hardware engineers, one trainer for use of computer programs and information system & one network technician. Also, there are 6 statistics and cancer registry technicians & 15 workers in medical records. The department has also a secretary and 3 employees

DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES:

1-TEACHING OBJECTIVES:

  Teaching biostatistics and cancer epidemiology to all Doctorate degree

  given.

  by NCI, and different faculties of Cairo University in addition to other

  universities in Egypt.

  Continuous teaching courses for computer programs and dealing with the

  information system and internet for all doctors and workers in the NCI.

2-RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:

The department shares in planning, preparation, follow up and making different statistics for all research plans in different cancer fields. Also, the department evaluates scientific papers before publishing and help researchers for data retrieval from patient files

3-SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES:

The teaching staff help doctors in different research fields, Master and Doctorate degrees through:

  Cancer registry and cooperation with the National Network for Cancer 

  Registry

In addition to the Main Department Objective; dealing with patient records which started with NCI establishment till now both manually and electronically also, follow up of completeness of patient sheets for better service of patient and researches.

The department has an important role in Decision Making at all levels through information network:

  NCI has a special site on the internet representing a window for NCI to the

  outside world providing information to those who need.

  Helps doctors to take the proper decisions in diagnosis, management,

  follow

  up of patients through admission/discharge system, laboratory system,

  radiology system surgery system and other systems.
  In addition to record tracking to allow rapid access and prevent loss of

  patient files

The network provides different specialties with reports and information needed for:

  Evaluation of efficiency of scientific and administrator systems

CANCER PREVENTION:

It is done through health education to prevent occurrence or through early discovery of cancer for the seek of complete cure. Also, health education after disease occurrence for better understanding of tumors and causes of occurrence, and dealing with the disease when happened which allow for better response to treatment and increase patient compliance, prevent or minimize side effects of treatment.