Cancer Network Information System Cymru (CaNISC) includes multidisciplinary team diagnosis, proposed treatments, and a system-generated summary of the patient’s cancer record.

The core system used across Wales has been CaNISC. This system provided the cancer patient record of treatment, the patient administration system for Velindre Cancer Centre, and was the primary source of cancer data for waiting times, clinical audit, and cancer registration.

Velindre Cancer Centre successfully migrated from CaNISC onto the new Cancer Informatics System (CIS) in November 2022.

Why is CaNISC being replaced?

Whilst CaNISC allowed multiple organisations to record the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care information for a patient, it could only be accessed by approximately 2000 authorised health care professionals. Patients receive care in many settings outside of the cancer centres and their cancer care clinical information was often not available to other health professionals treating patients for other health related issues in other care settings.

CaNISC approached the end of its viable service as it could no longer be updated to keep pace with changing clinical practices and processes. The 2018 Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales included an action to explore the replacement of CaNISC, resulting in a business case being submitted to the Welsh Government to develop a new Cancer Information System for Wales.

Welsh Government agreed a £6.5 million investment from the Digital Priorities Investment Fund in 2019 spanning three financial years, working with Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW), health boards and trusts to deliver the Cancer Informatics Programme.

A Data Explained report on CNIS can be found here: https://adrwales.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Data_Explained_CNIS.pdf