FCDS is Florida's Statewide Population-Based Cancer Registry. In 1978, the Florida Department of Health contracted with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC) at the University of Miami School of Medicine to design and implement the registry. FCDS has been collecting incidence data since 1981.

In October 1994, the Florida Cancer Data System became part of the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) administered by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Through this program the CDC provides funding for states, such as Florida, to enhance their existing registry to meet national standards for completeness, timeliness and data quality set forth by the North American Association of Central Registries (NAACCR), the American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer (ACoS/CoC) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) reporting program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Florida has the highest crude incidence rate of cancer in the nation with a 17,500,000 population residing in 67 counties. Two hundred twenty eight hospitals report over 155,000 cases annually, which when unduplicated, translate into approximately 115,000 newly diagnosed cases per year. At this time, the FCDS database contains over 2,700,000 cancer incidence records. FCDS also maintains a cancer mortality file based on data provided from the State of Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics. The mortality data are linked with the incidence data and provide hospital based cancer programs, researchers and other professionals access to "passive" follow up data.

See our Law and Rules page for information about Florida Statutes regarding FCDS, Immunity, and Confidentiality.