The National Cancer Database now offers improved, timely data critical for surgeons to make informed decisions.

• The NCDB captures data from over 55 million records across 1,413 hospitals, enhancing breadth and relevance.
• Embargo periods for survival data have decreased from 5 years to 3 years, improving the speed of access to vital information.

Timely, relevant data now reflects real-world patient demographics and outcomes, aiding effective surgical planning and patient selection.

• New variables include Medicaid expansion and COVID-19 impact, which provide key insights for health policy and surgical demographics.