The Improving Cancer Outcomes (Diagnosis Reporting) Regulations are made under the Improving Cancer Outcomes Act 2014 (the Act). The Regulations, which came into effect on 18 September 2025, prescribe types of cancer that are required to be reported to the Victorian Cancer Registry (VCR), the entities that must report cancer diagnosis and the information to be included in the report.
The Regulations replace the previous regulations, which were made in 2015. Since the previous regulations were made, there have been many advancements in the cancer system enabling more efficient cancer diagnosis, treatment methods, research outcomes as well as better cancer prevention initiatives that have benefited all Victorians.
The Regulations reflect these advancements and incorporate information needed for the next 10 years. The Act and Regulations are enablers to Victoria’s cancer system – they prescribe the agencies that are required to report a cancer diagnosis, outline the minimum data to be reported in the required time frame, and support and empower the Victorian Cancer Registry (VCR) to be the repository of the data.
The changes made to the Regulations are limited, with limited impacts on stakeholders such as pathology providers. Key changes are outlined below.
Key changes
As specified in the Act, the Anti-Cancer Council Victoria (operating as the Cancer Council - CCV) is responsible for registering all cases of cancer reported by hospitals prescribed health services, prescribed registers and those carrying out cancer tests.
The VCR is a unit in the CCV that operates under the authority of the Secretary of the Department of Health to collect information relating to cancer in Victoria in accordance with the Act.
The principal objective of the VCR is to contribute to the prevention, control and treatment of cancer in the population, through the supply of timely accurate data based on the incidence, prevalence and outcomes of cancer in Victoria.
The key changes are set out in the table below:
| Change | Impact | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Directly specifying the types of cancers that are reportable to the VCR in Schedule 1 of the Regulations (previously this information was contained in a guideline published by the department). | Including this information in the Regulations, rather than separately, will provide clarity on the types of cancers that are reportable and reduce the burden on health services in understanding their reporting obligations. |
| 2 | A new requirement for pathology services to include the results of testing for relevant cancer or precursor biomarkers in the pathology report to the VCR. This requirement is included in Schedule 3, and the list of biomarkers is published in the Reporting requirements for cancer or precursor biomarkers document. Reporting requirements for cancers or precursor biomarkers | This will improve the department’s understanding of the prevalence and incidence of different types of cancers within the population, enable better monitoring of trends in diagnoses, and allow the department to better target efforts to improve disparities in cancer diagnosis and outcomes. |
Benefits of the changes
The Regulations provide a comprehensive, forward-looking approach to cancer diagnosis reporting in Victoria. They will strengthen clinical decision-making, enhance data quality and utility, reduce system fragmentation, and promote greater equity and responsiveness in cancer care planning and delivery.
By reinforcing the integration between clinical, laboratory, and public health data systems, these reforms position Victoria as a national leader in cancer surveillance and personalised care.
Key benefits include:
Enhanced data accuracy and completeness:
- Inclusion of list of reportable cancers and precursors ensures comprehensive and consistent data capture across tumour types and diagnoses.
- Inclusion of biomarkers and cancer staging information provides detailed, high-quality data critical to informing diagnosis, treatment and outcomes.
- The requirement to report cancer biomarker results under schedule 3 formalises what is increasingly standard clinical practice, ensuring consistency across providers.
Improved surveillance, equity monitoring and planning:
- Better quality data across hospitals, health services and pathology services and cancer types allow for more robust surveillance and monitoring of variations in access, care and outcomes across Victoria.
Reviewed 17 September 2025