Key messages
- Screening registers are a vital component of population screening programs.
- The data collected by screening registers is used for patient benefit, research and program monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance.
- Victoria has a breast cancer screening register, the National Cancer Screen Register operates the cervical, bowel and lung screening registers.
Screening registers underpin population screening programs
Screening registers record complete screening histories for participants so that each time a person attends for screening their result can be compared to previous results, enabling appropriate clinical recommendations to be provided to health professionals.
The registers also record contact details so that invitations, reminders and recalls for further assessment can be sent to participants. Data reporting and collection is generally electronic and automatic, and in accordance with relevant legislation and health privacy principles.
How the data in screening registers is used
Registers serve multiple purposes, including invitations and reminders, supporting clinical management and follow-up, program monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance (for example for health professionals and pathology laboratories) and to support the overarching quality frameworks of the screening programs. Researchers can access screening registry data, provided they meet the required access criteria and protocols.
Registry data is regularly analysed to monitor program efficacy, safety, outcomes and performance against program indicators at a state and national levels. Data analysis is also undertaken to inform program policy and service planning, to identify trends in screening behaviour and outcomes, and to support initiatives to improve access and participation by under-screened and never-screened population groups.
National Cancer Screening Register
The National Cancer Screening (NCSR) provides national electronic infrastructure for the collection, storage, analysis and reporting of screening program data for theNational Cervical Screening , the National Bowel Cancer Screening and the National Lung Screening .
The NCSR facilitates and streamlines engagement in screening programs for eligible participants and their healthcare providers by inviting and reminding eligible people to screen, and prompting participants to take the next steps on their screening journey.
The NCSR offers healthcare providers a standardised interface that integrates with clinical software to make the process of supporting patient participation in these programs easier. Find out how to integrate clinical on the National Cancer Screening Register website.
National Bowel Cancer Screening Program Register
TheNational Bowel Cancer Screening has one national register owned by the Commonwealth. It sends bowel cancer screening invitations, screening kits and reminder letters. The Register also collects screening test results taken through the program. It does not collect information about the outcomes of all faecal occult blood tests (FOBT) and all colonoscopies done in Australia.
BreastScreen Victoria Registry
The BreastScreen Victoria Registry collects the results of screening and assessment through the BreastScreen Victoria program. It sends invitation letters to eligible Victorian women, supports a centralised appointment booking service, sends screening reminders and supports participant follow-up for women with abnormal screening results. It does not collect screening and assessment results from outside the BreastScreen Victoria program.
Reviewed 30 March 2026