NICER Online Data Dictionary

The NICER Core Dataset comprises three categories of information (personal characteristics, cancer characteristics: diagnosis & treatment related, and follow-up status). The NCD is subject to continuous formal documented review and amendment by participants. Thus it is not intended to be a fixed and/or final document. It is instead a living document; based on latest international standards, consensus of national and cantonal experts revised as necessary in chronologically numbered versions.


The primary purposes of the NICER Core Dataset are to:

  • Include the minimum necessary list of variables for national cancer monitoring (incidence, prevalence, mortality, survival including important descriptive characteristics) in Switzerland
  • Provide a formally agreed upon and consistently defined set of nationally available variables
  • Build consensus of cantonal registration experts for national perspective of cancer registration
  • Provide critical epidemiological information for thorough, valid national cancer monitoring
  • Provide essential data for promoting national cancer epidemiology research in Switzerland