Executive summary

This User Guide is one of a suite of documents to aid users in implementing the Systemic Anti Cancer Therapy (SACT) Information Standard (DAPB1533 Amd20/2025). It includes all the data items in SACT v4.0, together with definitions, formats, codes, values and additional guidance on collection and implementation. Find more SACT documents in the ‘downloads’ section on the NDRS SACT website.

One of the aims of this review was to reduce burden whilst updating the data set so that it remained clinically accurate and meets the business objectives, scope and content of the standard.

In v4.0, there are an additional 16 data items overall, compared with v3.0 and of them, 4 are compulsory due to the change in the way date and consultant codes are now recorded. In addition, most of the other increases were to ensure that ‘Regimen’, ‘Cycle’ and ‘Dose Modification’ as well as ‘Cycle Delay’ were correctly structured and recorded.

The data is used as an important indicator as to the outcome of drug treatments. Linking the data to other major data sets, also allows for better staging and more accurate mortality data, which are important indicators to the effectiveness of drugs delivered in the treatment of cancer.

Implementation of the Standard is carried out by the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), technical queries regarding implementation should be raised in the first instance to your regional Data Liaison staff at your local NDRS office.

Contact details for the regional data liaison managers, can be found on the NDRS website under the ‘support and feedback’ section, on the SACT webpage.

The SACT Information Standard applies to all organisations providing systemic anti-cancer treatment therapies in, or funded by, the NHS in England. The SACT data set collects information reported routinely by NHS Trusts on the treatment of malignant disease in secondary care in England.

This data set relates to all cancer patients, both adult and paediatric, in acute inpatient, day-case and outpatient settings and delivery in the community. It covers systemic anti-cancer treatment for all solid and haematological malignancies, including patients in clinical trials.