SEER program

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival in the US.

The SEER program is the only comprehensive source of population-based information in the US that includes stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis and survival rates within each stage.

The SEER program currently collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival data from 14 population-based cancer registries and three supplemental registries covering approximately 26 percent of the US population.

Information on more than 3 million in situ and invasive cancer cases is included in the SEER database, and approximately 170,000 new cases are added each year within the SEER coverage areas.

The SEER registries routinely collect data on patient demographics, primary tumor site, morphology, stage at diagnosis, first course of treatment, and follow-up for vital status.