The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) is a national cancer database operated by the National Cancer Institute. Established in 1973, the database collects data on the incidence, demographics, treatment, and survival of all cancers. Over time, SEER has grown to collect data from more sites. Currently, 22 sites report data to SEER. These sites were intentionally picked to ensure an adequate representation of racial and ethnic minority populations.
Benefits to SEER include that it provides precise cancer incidence data. The database also operates its own software, allowing researchers to analyze cancer data quickly. Limitations are that compared to other cancer databases, SEER collects limited demographic data and uses a non-TNM form of cancer staging (T=size of the tumor and spread into nearby tissue; N=spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes; and M=Metastasis).
— Walter J. Liszewski, MD- Assistant Professor of Dermatology (Medical Dermatology) and Preventive Medicine (Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention)
