The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has awarded UC Davis Health a $15.7 million grant to help run the California Cancer Registry (CCR), a program that collects information about all cancers diagnosed in California. This three-year grant is the second renewal for UC Davis to manage the registry.

State law requires all invasive cancers diagnosed in California to be reported to the California Cancer Registry. The registry collects and analyzes cancer data and performs quality control.

A team overseen by Professors Theresa Keegan and Ted Wun provides statewide surveillance and IT functions. The team also collaborates with three regional registries funded by grants from the state and the National Cancer Institute and provides support for the national, regional and state Cancer Center Registry initiatives.

“We thank CDPH for their trust in UC Davis to run such a critical and valuable resource,” Wun said. He is the chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology and the director of the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC).

Tracking Cancer in California

CCR is a program of CDPH’s Chronic Disease Surveillance and Research Branch. It is a great resource for cancer researchers, health policymakers and the public.

The registry captures the incidence of the various types of cancer in California. It has detailed information on nearly 6 million cancer cases.

According to the registry, nearly 1 out of every 11 Californians born today will develop cancer at some point in their lives, and 1 in 4 people with cancer will die of the disease.

In California, more than 20 new cases are diagnosed every hour of every day. More than half of the cancers diagnosed are among people aged 65 and older.

“The richness of the registry data and its accuracy allow scientists to better understand the causes of cancer in Californians, and for policymakers and the general public to better appreciate the cancer burden,” Wun said. “A recent emphasis is on understanding disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes. Insights gained will ultimately lead to better prevention and treatment.”

In 2022, the most common cancer types in California are breast, prostate and lung cancers. Learn more about cancer in California.