Final answer:
The incidence of cancer is identified through a combination of facility and population registries. These registries collect data on new cancer cases and overall cases to monitor cancer trends and help understand risk factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The incidence of cancer is identified through the combination of both the facility registry and the population registry. These registries provide comprehensive data, including the number of new cases of cancer during a specific time period (incidence) and the total number of cases including both new and existing during a time period (prevalence). Facilities typically record detailed patient data at the healthcare level, while population registries collect data across a wider scope, often at the state or national level, enabling the monitoring of cancer incidence and prevalence within a specific population.
Health agencies obtain such data through various means including medical records, health program data, and cancer registries. The collected information helps in understanding risk factors, early detection, and aiding in the planning of healthcare services and resources.