The risk of developing cancer increases with age. Due to the increasing life expectancy of the population, the absolute number of cancer cases is also increasing.

In order to provide the best possible care for people suffering from cancer, the available resources must be used optimally. There needs to be a good infrastructure of medical care including specialized centers as well as high quality diagnostics and treatment in accordance with the current recommendations.

To accomplish this task, the following information is needed: How many cancer cases actually occur? How have the numbers of cases developed in recent years? Are there regional differences and are men and women equally affected? What therapies are used and what are the chances of survival?

Cancer registries provide reliable figures on these questions by recording and analyzing the frequency, temporal course of cancer cases as well as performed therapies and their successes according to internationally agreed rules. Furthermore, the collected data are also provided to other scientists for research into cancer and its treatment.

The aims of cancer registration are the investigation of cancer causes, the development of effective prevention and early detection methods and the improvement of care of affected patients.

The tasks of cancer registries are regulated by both federal and state law. Accordingly, all clinics and practices in the state of Bremen that diagnose or treat a patient with cancer are obliged to report data to the Bremen Cancer Registry.