What is SCLD?

The National Cancer Institute's State Cancer Legislative Database (SCLD) is a program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that maintains a database of state cancer-related health policy. With decades of data, the SCLD serves as an important resource for research and analysis of legislation affecting cancer prevention and control.

Use the database to:

• Evaluate the effect of state legislation on public health and on the application of cancer control science
• Facilitate the application of cancer control science
• Monitor legislative trends that may reflect changing public attitudes and practices toward cancer prevention and control

Topics covered

• Breast cancer
• Cancer - (general)
• Cervical cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Genetics
• Health disparities
• Health-related treatment
• Obesity prevention
• Ovarian cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Skin cancer
• Access to state-of-the-art cancer treatment
• Surveillance (cancer registries)
• Testicular cancer
• Tobacco use
• Uterine cancer

Most laws summarized in the SCLD explicitly mention cancer, with exceptions. Most measures in the obesity prevention topic area do not mention cancer. The SCLD also maintains limited information about legislation that more broadly addresses chronic or life-threatening conditions, without mentioning cancer. Such laws generally are found in the health-related treatment (general) and access to state-of-the-art treatment (general) topic areas.