The way in which a registry operates depends, inevitably, on local condi- tions and on the material resources available. Usually, the main sources of information of a population-based registry include: (1) information from treatment facilities, such as cancer centres and major hospitals (and some- times, if appropriate, private clinics, hospices, homes for the elderly and general practitioners); (2) information from diagnostic services, especially pathology departments, but also haematological, biochemical and immuno- logical laboratories, X-ray and ultrasound departments, and other imaging clinics; (3) death certificates from the death registration system (if they are available)
