The Danish Cancer Registry, a self-reporting national cancer registration system with elements of active data collection.

The kingdom of Denmark (excluding Greenland and the Faeroe isles) covers 43 080 square kilometres between 55 and 58 degrees north and 8 and 12.5 degrees east. The population on 1 January 1986 was 5.1 million. The medical care system is organized into a private sector of general practitioners and specialists under contract with the National Health Insurance, and a public sector operating hospitals under the authority of the counties, communities or the Danish State. Health care is provided free to all inhabitants. In 1980, there were 5.6 hospital beds and 2.2 physicians per 1000 inhabitants. Surgical treatment of cancer is carried out both at general and at oncological centres. The hospital departments are serviced by 28 institutes of pathology. Non-surgical cancer treatment is partially centralized at five regional radiotherapy and oncological centres. Almost everyone in the population is able to reach one of the regional cancer ccntres'within a few hours.