Introduction to the International Cancer Research Data Bank (ICRDB)

These developments in the national oncology arena have had a major impact on the International Cancer Research Data Bank (ICDRB) program, currently part of the International Cancer Information Center (ICIC). Its formal scope has not changed in terms of covering documents dealing with "agents and factors related to cancer etiology; agents and procedures used to treat and care for cancer patients; studies of cancerous cells and tissues; and basic research areas clearly relevant to cancer (such as mechanisms for controlling cell division)." However, while the scope has not changed, the material covered within each of these categories has changed dramatically. Detailed studies of oncogene activation and the modulation of other genetic factors, in order both to understand the etiology of cancer and to take steps toward preventing it, were little more than hopeful visions at the time the ICRDB started up. The agents and procedures used to treat cancer patients have expanded beyond surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy alone, to include immunotherapy, biological response modifiers, and targeted radioisotopes and toxins, while at the same time incorporating major additions to the range of procedures for surgery (such as lumpectomies and nerve-sparing operations) and radiotherapy (such as brachytherapy and stereotactic irradiation), and the flourishing multi-modal approach. All have come from those basic research areas so much stimulated by the National Cancer Act.