From policy to practice: assessing the impact of staging policies for recording cancer stage across Canada.

In 1998, a survey of all hospitals in Canada by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of Canada found that only 17% reported that stage was routinely recorded. Closely following the methodology of the 1998 study, an online questionnaire was sent to the chief executive officer of 201 institutions in Canada. Since the study in 1998, it was found that the staging rate in Canada has significantly increased from 17 to 36%. The implementation of a staging policy has had a significant impact on the practices of recording stage, but further policy initiatives, education and communication are required to improve institutional staging practices.