The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), organised a workshop on the appropriate practice of cancer data coding using the ICD-O (International Classification of Diseases for Oncology) coding system. 
The two-day workshop was attended by staff from the Qatar National Cancer Registry at MoPH, the multidisciplinary team coordinators, and the cancer registry team at Hamad Medical Corporation. 
"This workshop comes as a step of the project to create the Qatar Cancer Information Centre (QCIC), said Amid Abu Hamedan, manager of the National Cancer Registry at MoPH.
"This will certainly improve the quality of data reported to the registry and better inform the public and the decision makers on the cancer burden in the country.” 
A certified tumour registrar was invited to provide the training over two days, during which the trainees received theoretical lectures and extensive hands-on training using real cancer data.
“Improving the knowledge and understanding of cancer within the country was a key recommendation in the National Cancer Framework published in 2017. Having high quality data will encourage data-driven planning and budgeting, especially with ever increasing costs of treating cancer,” said Catherine Gillespie, director of the National Cancer Programme.
"QCIC will provide information to healthcare providers about cancer patients, covering the complete pathway of the cancer patient. It will also include information related to cancer research and scientific gathering", added Hamedan.
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