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U.S. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute

Accessing the 1973-2005 SEER Data

The SEER Limited-Use 1973-2005 data are available in the binary format required by the SEER*Stat software and in an ASCII text format that can be analyzed with your own statistical software. The data and SEER*Stat software are available using four methods:

  • Use SEER*Stat to access the data through your Internet connection (SEER*Stat's client-server mode). This is the most common method for accessing the SEER Data.
  • Have CDs containing the data and SEER*Stat software shipped to you. These include the binary and text versions of the data. As of this year, the contents of the CDs will be compressed (self-extracting ZIP files), requiring the materials to be uncompressed and stored on your computer or network in order to access the data and run SEER*Stat. This will require approximately one gigabyte of disk space per CD.
  • Have a DVD containing the data and SEER*Stat software shipped to you. The data can be accessed and the software can be run from the DVD. This DVD will contain SEER*Stat, and the binary and text versions of the data.
  • Download two compressed files containing the CD images. SEER*Stat, the binary data, and the text data are available for download.

These are described in more detail in Options for Accessing the Data and SEER*Stat Software.

Datasets Included by Access Method

All Access Options (Client-server mode, CD/DVD set, and CD Images):

  • SEER Limited-Use Data, 1973-2005 (9, 13, and 17 registries databases)
  • County Attributes data

Client-Server Only:

  • U.S. Mortality
  • Incidence-based mortality
  • Previous submissions of SEER data
  • U.S. Populations
  • Detailed Asian/Pacific Islander databases (1998-2002)
  • Automatic SEER*Stat software updates

CD/DVD and CD images Only:

  • ASCII text version of the SEER 1973-2005 data

SEER Limited-Use Data Agreement

A signed SEER Limited-Use Data Agreement form is required to access the SEER data. Once you have determined if you want to access the data via the Internet or receive a CD or DVD, please submit a request for access to the data and SEER*Stat software. A personalized SEER Limited-Use Data Agreement will be created for you. The SEER program will process your request within 2 business days of receiving your signed agreement.

You may review the language of the SEER Limited-Use Data Agreement in the sample agreement form (this cannot be used to request data).

Please send questions or comments to: seertrack@imsweb.com.

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