Research studies that include Missouri residents can benefit from linkage with the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center (MCR) database, a population-based database of all reportable tumors diagnosed among Missouri residents. If you are a researcher interested in conducting an epidemiologic study using MCR data, please submit a data request form by clicking on the following button. You need to have an unexpired IRB approval and CITI training for your research project before submitting a data request.
About MCR Data
Accessing MCR Data: There are three different levels of data that can be released for cancer surveillance and research purposes.
Level A: Aggregate data
Reports of aggregated data stratified by non-confidential data fields (i.e. case counts by race, sex, stage, age, county, etc.). Many statistics can be obtained quickly at the following websites:
MCR data
- Cancer InFocus
- Health Maps
- MO Department of Health and Senior Services (MOPHIMS)
- Cancer Incidence (MICA)
Sources that include MCR data in addition to other states’ registries
- U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Tool (USCS)
- Cancer In North America (NAACCR)
- State Cancer Profiles (NCI)
- Cancer Facts & Figures (ACS)
Source with non-Missouri, but similar data:
- SEER limited use datasets (SEER)
If you can’t find what you need, please submit a Data Request Form.
Level B: Individual-level data without patient contact
- Individual record-level data required for research or linkage studies
- DOES NOT involve patient or family contact
- Data are provided only to researchers with studies that meet stringent requirements for scientific merit and handling of confidential information.
Data linkages will additionally require that MCR has a signed quote before the linkage is conducted.
Please plan ahead to allow adequate time for the approval process. There is a charge for this service; please see the fee schedule table at the end of this page.
Data Request Steps:
- Submit a Data Request Form.
- Your request will be sent to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ (DHSS) Institutional Review Board (IRB).
- Sign the MCR Contract/Agreement with a budget.
Level C: Individual-level data with patient contact
- Individual record-level data required for research
- DOES involve patient or family contact
- Data are provided only to researchers with studies that meet stringent requirements for scientific merit and handling of confidential information.
Data Request Steps:
- Submit a Data Request Form.
- Your request will be sent to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ (DHSS) Institutional Review Board (IRB).
- Sign the MCR Contract/Agreement with a budget.
- First contact of the patient or family will be made by the Cancer Research Program. Please plan ahead to allow adequate time for the approval process.
Note: Since permission is required before any identifying information about cancer patients can be shared with outside researchers, data linkages will generally need to be performed at MCR by MCR staff. If you have additional questions or would like more details, please contact us.
Fee Schedule Table
| NUMBER OF RECORDS TO BE LINKED AGAINST THE REGISTRY DATABASE | BASE COST |
|---|---|
| Less than 5,000 records | $2,500 |
| 5,000 – 9,999 records | $4,000 |
| 10,000 – 49,999 records | $5,000 |
| 50,000 – 99,999 records | $6,000 |
| 100,000 – 249,999 records | $7,000 |
| 250,000 – 499,999 records | $8,500 |
| 500,000 – 999,999 records | $10,500 |
| More than 1,000,000 records | $15,000 |
Note: There is an additional fee for lower data quality (defined as more than 10% of the records containing incorrect or missing values in any of the main linkage variables: first name, last name, sex, date of birth, and Social Security number) since that results in a higher manual review effort; and there are some miscellaneous fees for any unusual aspects that would cause extra work, but these are expected to usually not be relevant.