# Presentation: 883923

- Saves Lives

## 16 Million

**Notes:**
Between 1990 and 2004 more than 16 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer.

##  1,368,030

**Notes:**
The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 1.4 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2004 alone.

## Slide 4

**Notes:**
Virtually everyday, there is news about the efficacy of cancer drugs or reports on increased incidence of certain types of cancer or better than expected survival rates.

- 62%

**Notes:**
The current 5-year survival rate for all cancers combined is 62%.  These are just a few examples of the information about cancer widely available today.  This information exists and is accessible as a direct result of the work of thousands of Cancer Registries and Cancer Registrars in the United States.  The information produced by Cancer Registries and Cancer Registrars form the foundation for cancer-related research, treatment advances, and prevention efforts.

## Cancer Registries

- Statistics
- Treatment strategies
- Public health initiatives

**Notes:**
Cancer Registries collect cancer information which is used in thousands of ways–including producing statistics on cancer incidence and survival rates, improving patient care, and developing innovative public health initiatives, such as cancer screening programs. 

## Goal

- The ultimate goal of collecting cancer information is to prevent and control cancer and improve patient care

**Notes:**
The ultimate goal of collecting cancer information is to prevent and control cancer and improve patient care.

## Result

- Assist physicians in assessing the efficacy of diagnostic and therapeutic methods

**Notes:**
This goal is achieved by providing evidence-based information to physicians that is used to assess the efficacy of varying diagnostic and therapeutic methods and options and to plan, review, and update standards of care.

## Result

- Aide in the decision making about unmet needs, physician recruitment, space needs, resource allocation, and health planning

**Notes:**
Information collected by Cancer Registries is also valuable to public health officials, policy makers, and administrators in making critical decisions about reaching populations in need of care, allocating health care resources, providing adequate staffing to care for cancer patients, and planning health care initiatives.

## Result

- Respond to local needs through an assessment of referral patterns, cancer trends, and development opportunities

**Notes:**
Cancer data collected on a local or regional basis allows those working in local health care settings to manage the flow of patients and ensure that adequate resources are available.  Local health care providers also use this data to take advantage of business and fundraising opportunities, which often result in increased or better capacity for care.

## Cancer-related Information

- Demographics
- Medical history
- Diagnosis and prognosis indicators
- Treatment patterns

- Cancer recurrence
- Survival rates
- Health care insurance coverage
- Patient eligibility for clinical trials

**Notes:**
Preventing and controlling cancer plus improving patient care begin with collecting and reporting various data. Cancer Registries collect a wide range of cancer-related information; including – 
Demographics: To enable evaluation of site/gender/age and geographic location.
Medical History:
Cancer Registries collect information on each patient’s medical histories to record risk factors and co-morbid conditions which may contribute to the development of cancer and the outcome of treatment.
Diagnosis and prognosis indicators:
Details about a patient’s cancer diagnosis, including type, anatomic location, and stage or extent of disease, are recorded using national and international coding standards.
Treatment Patterns:
Analysis of information about treatment, collected by Cancer Registries helps determine which treatment patterns are the most effective.
Cancer Recurrence:
Through annual follow-up of vital and cancer status with patients and physicians, Cancer Registries may track cancer recurrence and subsequent cancers in the same patient and calculate survival rates.
Healthcare Coverage:
Cancer Registries may track information about patients’ health care coverage and utilization of services, providing useful information to health care planners and administrators.
Patient Eligibility:
Some Cancer Registries also record the eligibility and participation of patients in various clinical trials. 

As you can see, data from Cancer Registries are more than just numbers.

## Different Kinds of Cancer Registries

*Different Kinds of Cancer Registries*

**Notes:**
There are several types of cancer registries.

## Hospital Cancer Registry

**Notes:**
A hospital registry is the monitor of the cancer program at a particular health care facility.  All patients diagnosed or treated at the hospital are entered into the Cancer Registry database. The data are used to improve patient care by assessing patterns of care and outcomes relative to national norms.  Registry data allows the hospital to measure their quality of care for continuing improvement.  The data are aggregated with state and national data, and is used to educate staff and determine resource allocation.

## State Cancer Registry

**Notes:**
A state Cancer Registry monitors cancer within the state’s boundaries. All health care facilities are mandated by legislative statute to report all cancer cases to the state Central Cancer Registry.  State registries are population-based cancer registries that track the incidence and mortality of cancer within the population at risk or the state’s population. 

State registry data focuses on public health rather than individual patients. The data are used for research, suspected cancer cluster investigations, public health programs, and of course state resource allocation, cancer control planning, and education.

Because state registries receive cases from all facilities in the state, a patient may be reported from more than one facility.  For example, a patient may receive surgery at one facility and radiation therapy at another.  Both facilities would report their information to the central cancer registry. To be able to have an accurate count of new cancer patients and new cancers, this information needs to be linked. To have the most complete information on each patient, the state registry merges or combines information from all reports that are identified as being for the same patient and for the same cancer. If a  new cancer is diagnosed for a previous patient, a new cancer record is linked to that person. If there is any conflicting information reported, such as a different race or sex, the central registry contacts to the reporting facilities to determine the correct information.  In addition to the individual reports from the facilities, the central registry creates a consolidated record that contains the most complete and accurate data for that patient from all reporting sources. 

## National Cancer Data Base

**http://www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/index.html**

**Notes:**
Health care facilities that are accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) Commission on Cancer are required to submit their data to the ACoS’s National Cancer Data Base in addition to the central or regional population-based databases or registries. The NCDB is a multi-hospital database that monitors cancer care in ACoS Approved Cancer Programs. The information collected is available to the participating health care facilities for comparisons of care studies and other quality improvement initiatives.  The NCDB is a nationwide oncology outcomes database and has provided the basis for many patterns of care studies. 

## Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER)

**http://seer.cancer.gov/**

**Notes:**
The National Cancer Act of 1971 mandated collection, analysis & dissemination of data useful in the prevention, diagnosis & treatment of cancer and established the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER). SEER began collecting data on cases diagnosed on January 1, 1973 . 

The National Cancer Institute’s SEER Program is a national population-based cancer registry that monitors a representative sampling of certain geographic areas or about 26% of the U.S. population.  The data are used to determine representative national cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates.  The SEER Program is also a data standard setting organization for cancer registries.

SEER data comes from 9 states and 6 metropolitan areas. Three supplemental registries provide information from 10 predominantly black rural counties in Georgia, American Indians residing in Arizona, and Alaska Native populations residing in Alaska.

## National Program of Cancer Registries

- National Program of Cancer Registries

**http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/NPCR**/

**Notes:**
The Centers for Disease Control’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) provides funds and technical assistance to improve cancer registration throughout the United States. NPCR is also a data standard setting organization for cancer registries.

The CDC has administered the NPCR since 1994.  Before NPCR was established, 10 states had no registry and registries in other states were under funded.  Also, there was a lack of national standards.  With appropriations of approximately $50 million in fiscal year 2004, today NPCR supports central registries and promotes the use of registry data in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau, and the Virgin Islands.

The NCPR is also an example of a population-based national Cancer Registry. State central cancer registries funded by NPCR submit their data to the NPCR database. The database that is maintained by NPCR is used to monitor the burden of cancer for the nation. Ninety-six percent of the United States population is covered by the NPCR. Data are provided for research, evaluation of cancer control activities and to plan for future healthcare needs. 

## CDC: National Standards

- CDC has established national standards to ensure the completeness, timeliness, and quality of Cancer Registry data

**Notes:**
CDC has established national standards to ensure the completeness, timeliness, and quality of Cancer Registry data. CDC urges central Cancer Registries to incorporate standards for data quality and format as described by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).  In 1997, NAACCR instituted a program that annually reviews member registries’ abilities to produce complete, accurate, and timely data. Registries that meet the highest standards receive NAACCR certification.

## NPCR provides national leadership to Cancer Registries

- 2004 NAACCR Certification (2001 data)

**Notes:**
This map shows those NPCR and SEER state cancer registries that met the NAACCR certification standards for completeness, quality, and timeliness in 2004 based on data from 2001. Significant progress has been made since 1997 when Certification was 1st offered by NAACCR. In 1997, only 14 states achieved certification. By 1999 that number increased to 33, by 2000 37states were certified, and in 2004, 39 states were certified.

## Today, NPCR and SEER registries work collaboratively to collect and report cancer statistics on the entire U.S. population.http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/uscs/

**Notes:**
Today, NPCR and SEER registries work collaboratively to collect and report cancer statistics on the entire U.S. population.  In 2002, SEER and NPCR published their first joint report on the state of cancer in the United States. The 2004 publication covered 92% of the U.S. population. 

## How Registries Collect Cancer Data

*How Registries Collect Cancer Data*

## The techniques used by Cancer Registrars allows for uniform data collection

**Notes:**
What is it that a Cancer Registrar actually collects?  While we have talked generally about the kinds of information collected by Cancer Registrars, we have not looked at the techniques and language used in Cancer Registries.

The language of the Cancer Registrar is a series of codes that are uniform throughout the United States.  The codes are developed by organizations known as standard setting organizations.

## Abstracting

*Abstracting is converting a patient’s written medical record to uniform data*

**Notes:**
Cancer Registrars convert written words from a patient’s medical record to a series of codes. This activity is called “abstracting” and is a key component of a cancer data collection.

## Slide 24

**Notes:**
You can see the two data sources contain similar information; they differ in how the data are recorded.  Why use codes instead of the written word? The act of using codes as opposed to the written word allows for data to be retrieved and compared electronically to track trends and outcomes.

## Cancer Registries have embraced technology

**Notes:**
A Cancer Registrar used to work with pen and paper in all coding.  But like much of the medical field a Cancer Registrar’s job is now high tech with databases and software used to record the abstracted information thus more easily allowing the registry data to become part of the nation’s health monitoring system.

## The Flow of Cancer Information: A Case Study

*The Flow of **Cancer Information: **A Case Study*

**Notes:**
Earlier, we looked at how information is transferred from a patient’s medical record into the Cancer Registry system.  Now, let’s see how cancer information moves from diagnosis at the local level to become part of national cancer data.

## Diagnosis to treatment

- Jane Smith learns from her internist that she likely has breast cancer

**Notes:**
After feeling a lump in her breast during a breast self-exam, Jane Smith goes to her doctor who refers her for mammography.  A few days later, Jane learns she likely has breast cancer.  Her doctor gives her basic information about this diagnosis and refers her to a surgeon.

## Diagnosis to treatment

- Further tests are completed at the hospital

**Notes:**
At a Detroit, Michigan hospital, Jane’s surgeon orders an ultrasound, blood tests, and a needle biopsy to determine the cell type of the lump found on her mammogram.  The tests results prove conclusively that she has breast cancer.

Jane’s reports, along with the reports of her physician’s other patients, are sent to the hospital’s Cancer Registry.  Those reports are sorted by the Cancer Registrar to determine which reports contain “reportable” information, such as Jane’s.  Non-reportable cases might include lumps deemed to be benign cysts.  The Cancer Registrar determines if Jane is already in the hospital’s registry database.  Because she is not, a new record or patient set is added. That record includes Jane’s demographic information, her cancer diagnosis, and diagnostic services.

## Diagnosis to treatment

- Jane’s doctor proposes a course of treatment

**Notes:**
Jane doctor proposes a course of treatment, including a lumpectomy, radiation, and systemic therapy.  She meets with a surgeon who schedules her lumpectomy, which is completed at the hospital in about three weeks.  It is determined that Jane has Stage I breast cancer.  She then begins a six-week course of radiation therapy, which takes place at a local cancer clinic.  The oncologist meets with Jane to discuss systemic therapy and together they decide on hormonal treatment.  Tamoxifen is prescribed.

The Cancer Registrar at the hospital examines Jane’s medical file to determine where she is being treated and what treatments she is receiving. The Cancer Registrar may have to contact the oncologist or surgeon to ascertain where Jane is receiving her radiation and any other treatment if the information isn’t mentioned in her chart. She then contacts each treatment source to gather complete information about Jane’s course of treatment, which is entered into Jane’s Cancer Registry record.

## Diagnosis to treatment

- Follow-up tests show Jane to be cancer free

**Notes:**
Her initial course of treatment now complete, Jane returns to her oncologist who orders a second mammogram and additional blood tests to see if her treatment has been successful.  She learns several days later that she is now cancer free, but is to continue taking the Tamoxifen and seeing her oncologist every six months. 

Jane’s record is chosen for a quality assurance audit by the Cancer Registry supervisor. The information in the Cancer Registry file is compared to the hospital’s medical record and additional information gathered from outside of the facility. After the audit review, it is noted that the data has all been coded correctly following the correct standards. Because no problems are found, Jane’s record is finalized and sent to SEER registry in Detroit, and the state NPCR registry for Michigan. Because the hospital is an ACoS approved cancer program, Jane’s data will also be sent to the National Cancer Data Base. 

## Diagnosis to treatment

- Jane’s data are added to other SEER and Michigan central Cancer Registry data, and the National Cancer Data Base, where it will go through more quality processes and refinement

**Notes:**
Because Detroit is part of SEER, Jane’s data are included in the SEER registry in Detroit, the Michigan central registry, and the NCDB where they will go through the computerized edit process and visual review. If other reports about Jane’s breast cancer from other facilities are also forwarded to these central cancer registries, they will be reconciled into one case with the most complete information. If there are data inconsistencies identified, the central registry would then return data to the hospital registry or ask for additional information. Once any outstanding issues are resolved, Jane’s data will be aggregated with other data from Michigan and ultimately with national data in the NCDB and at both SEER and NPCR. 

## Diagnosis to treatment

**The Cancer Registrar will regularly follow-up**

**Notes:**
Back in Jane’s hometown, the local Cancer Registrar will send a letter to Jane’s oncologist annually requesting information to update her disease and vital status in the Cancer Registry database.  These follow-up letters are the basis for survival rates and disease recurrence rates and are unique to the cancer surveillance world.  Patients are followed for a lifetime, thus providing accurate survival, recurrence, and outcomes information.  In addition, the Cancer Registry’s follow-up letters often act as a prompt to the physician and the patient that it is time for a checkup.

## Cancer Information is Used to Improve Prevention, Research, and Care

*Cancer Information is Used to Improve Prevention, Research, and Care*

## Evaluate patient outcome, quality of life, and satisfaction issues and implement procedures for improvement

- Cancer information is used in thousands of ways, including —

**Notes:**
Cancer information is used in thousands of ways, including evaluating patient outcome, quality of life, and satisfaction issues, as well as, implementing procedures for improvement. By analyzing the effectiveness of multiple treatments, successful treatment plans can be developed for each patient.

## Provide cancer burden information for cancer surveillance 

**Notes:**
Cancer incidence data also provides cancer burden information for cancer surveillance and is used for comprehensive cancer control planning.  Cancer data  alerts public health officials to trends within communities and potentially dangerous environmental or workplace conditions.

## Provide information for cancer prevention activities

**Notes:**
Cancer data provide information for cancer prevention activities, such as smoking cessation programs. Accurate cancer data also allow public health experts to effectively target outreach efforts to impact affect behavior and increase early screening for certain types of cancers, such as colorectal cancer.

## Allocate resources at local, state, and national levels

**Notes:**
Local, state, and national resource allocation is another use for cancer data. Examples of this include new locations for radiation therapy centers or new cancer screening programs.

## Develop educational programs for health care providers, patients, and the general public

- Develop educational programs for health care providers, patients, and the general public

**Notes:**
Data can be used to develop educational programs for health care providers, patients, and the general public.

**Notes:**
All over America, and in your community, Cancer Registrars are working to gather information from every cancer patient on all aspects of their disease.  As each patient’s data becomes combined with that from other patients, and from other communities, the entire medical community can better understand more about cancer. Here are examples of how the work of Cancer Registrars has directly helped in the fight against cancer.

## Minnesota

*In Minnesota, a rare type cancer caused by asbestos exposure was identified, leading the state to look for increased state funding for occupational-related disease*

**Notes:**
Statewide Cancer Registry Data showed a persistent excess of a rare cancer, mesothelioma, in northeastern Minnesota.  This rare type of cancer has only one known cause — asbestos exposure.  This revealing observation resulted in legislative funding for investigations to look for cases of other occupation-related disease. 

## New York

*Cancer registry data are now used to educate New Yorkers about cancer risk factors*

**Notes:**
Cancer incidence data were collected locally and sorted by zip code. Employing data from the Statewide Cancer Registry and state-of-the-art mapping techniques, they were able to show the distribution of cancer risk factors and develop targeted statewide public education programs. 

## Cancer Registrars Ensure Accuracy and Privacy

*Cancer Registrars Ensure Accuracy and Privacy*

**Notes:**
Cancer Registrars and the information they produce are essential to modern-day medicine–ensuring that patients receive accurate diagnoses, treatment, and prevention information. Cancer Registrars work diligently to ensure that the information they collect is accurate and meaningful, and that the privacy of a patient’s medical information will be assured.

## Inaccurate data are useless, expensive, and often harmful

**Notes:**
As the data collected by Cancer Registrars grow in volume and complexity, the need for accuracy significantly increases.  As an example, errors in coding types of cancer, stages of disease, or even race and sex can lead researchers and public health officials to make incorrect assumptions on why cancer rates may be increasing in specific populations.  As a result, resources might be allocated unwisely and public health campaigns targeted to the wrong population.

## National data are only as good as state and local data

- Health care providers record patient information and diagnosis

- Hospital-based cancer registrar abstracts patient information into uniform data sets and checks for an existing record for each patient

- Patient data are aggregated on a state level, and then sent to national registries (SEER or NPCR)

**Notes:**
Of course, because local data are then reported to a Statewide registry and then to a national registry, it is critical that source data from the local level is accurate, complete, and timely.  Data fields that are left blank or coded to unknown are virtually eliminated from analysis so it is very important that the data be complete. Also, to be of greatest use, data must be timely. To facilitate timely data, cases should be reported within six months of diagnosis. 

## Privacy concerns are paramount to Cancer Registrars

**Notes:**
Because Cancer Registrars have access to virtually every piece of medical information about every cancer patient in a health care facility, ensuring confidentiality and privacy is a paramount concern.  Training on local, state, and federal privacy laws and regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations provides an important foundation for the cancer registrar.  Additional training on workplace and professional ethics helps ensure that the confidentiality of patient information is maintained.

## Cancer Registrars: A challenging career requires quality education, and certification

*Cancer Registrars: **A challenging career requires quality education, and certification*

## High quality data results from trained specialists: Cancer Registrars

**Notes:**
Even with the most advanced technology and the finest physicians and doctors, health care facilities would be unable to accurately track and record cancer information without Cancer Registrars.  Because the cancer information that is fed into Cancer Registries contains data from many different sources and covers a long period of time, it is essential that Cancer Registrars have the skills and resources to locate, interpret, and record hundreds of data points on each cancer patient.

## The Cancer Registrar must
have comprehensive
knowledge about cancer
diagnoses, treatment, and
information management

- have comprehensive
- knowledge about cancer
- diagnoses, treatment, and
- information management

**Notes:**
The Cancer Registrar must gather information from multiple sources, including each of the places where a patient has received care such as the hospital, free-standing radiation therapy clinics, or an oncologist’s office.  

The Cancer Registrar must understand what data are useful and ensure that they are accurately and completely entered into a database. 

 The Cancer Registrar must have a thorough understanding of computer systems and know how data will be shared with central registries and ultimately used.  

Finally, the Cancer Registrar must have a complete knowledge of the illnesses faced by patients living with cancer and the vast number of treatment options used to treat different forms of cancer.

## Education for Health Information Management Professionals and Cancer Registrars are similar

**Notes:**
The necessary education for a Cancer Registrar closely parallels that for Health Information Management (HIM) professionals.  This includes Anatomy and Physiology, Database Management, Medical Coding, Medical Terminology, Writing and Communication, Statistics.  Earning an HIM Degree forms a wonderful foundation for the Cancer Registry profession.

## The Role of Hospital-based Registrars Goes Beyond Data Collection

- Cancer Program Management
- Cancer Committee Member
- Monitor quality of Cancer Program Management
- Provide benchmarks for quality comparison
- Data Analysis for Studies
- Compiling Cancer Program Annual Report
- Assess referral patterns
- Participate in cancer prevention
- Present information to cancer committee, physicians, administration

**Notes:**
Data collection is only one part of the duties of a Cancer Registrar. 

Often the cancer registrar in a hospital is the manager of the cancer program.  The Registrar may coordinate the cancer conferences where patient treatment options are discussed by a multi-disciplinary group of physicians and participate in other cancer program activities. As an active member of the hospital’s cancer committee, the registrar works with physicians and administration to improve the quality of the cancer program. The Cancer Registrar may participate in studies monitoring quality of care, and participate in system wide quality assurances programs. 

The Cancer Registrar frequently is also responsible for analyzing data and preparing reports for special physician requests, outcomes of treatment, and for preparing the Cancer Program Annual Report. Registrars may also prepare administrative reports such as an analysis of referral patterns.   
Hospital-based Cancer Registrars may assist in developing cancer prevention and screening programs, and in educating other members of the health care team regarding cancer and it’s treatment. 

## Edit the data from all facilities
Query the database for data quality reports
Merge duplicate records
Audit healthcare facilities to insure accurate, timely, complete data
Work with researchers
Contribute to data analysis for cancer program planning
Present data to the local community, schools, and others
Provide education and training for registrars

- Query the database for data quality reports
- Merge duplicate records
- Audit healthcare facilities to insure accurate, timely, complete data
- Work with researchers
- Contribute to data analysis for cancer program planning
- Present data to the local community, schools, and others
- Provide education and training for registrars

- Registrars in Central Cancer Registries are Key Players in Ensuring Quality Health Care

**Notes:**
Work in the Central cancer registry involves almost no abstracting but does require extensive data standard knowledge, knowledge of the disease process, standards of care, and new technologies–both database and medical.

There is a strong emphasis on monitoring the quality of the data received. 

It is also important to assure that the data collected is complete and that all of the cancer cases diagnosed in the state within each year are identified.

Once the data are complete, central registrars work with researchers and epidemiologists to report the findings and provide data to community leaders to assist in cancer program planning. This extensive knowledge allows the central cancer registrar to carry out the duties of the central cancer registry, resulting in complete and accurate information on the cancer burden of the state. 

Many central registrars play an active role in providing education and training to new registrars entering the profession.

## How Does One Become a Cancer Registrar?

*How Does One Become a Cancer Registrar?*

## Formal Education Programs Produce Excellent Cancer Registrars

**Notes:**
Traditionally, Cancer Registrars came from other allied health fields such as Health Information Management, or nursing, and were trained on the job. However, with the advent of national cancer reporting and an emphasis on quality assurance, formal education programs have greatly expanded over the past two decades.  Today, formal education programs at colleges around the country teach cancer information management.  Most formal education programs are one-year certificate programs. In 2005, there are 12 NCRA-approved formal education programs with more programs continually undergoing the approval process.

## CTRs have pursued higher education

- PhD or
- Masters

- High School

- Some college, associates, bachelors

**Notes:**
It is more important than ever to have a solid education and experience when sitting for the Certified Tumor Registrar exam.  Most applicants for the CTR exam have at least some college training under their belt, while many have an Associates or Bachelors degree.  There are even some who seek the CTR credential after obtaining their Masters degree or PhD.

## Certification of Cancer Registrars

*Certification of Cancer Registrars*

## Certification ensures quality results

- Establishing a standard of knowledge and experience
- Measuring the requisite knowledge of CTR® applicants
- Promoting professional growth and individual study
- Formally recognizing Cancer Registrars who meet certification requirements

**Notes:**
In the rapidly changing field of health care delivery, setting standards to assure the quality of care is mandatory. Certification of Cancer Registrars enhances data quality, fosters professional pride, and is nationally recognized in recruitment and retention of registry personnel.

Certification promotes excellence in the Cancer Registry field by establishing a standard of knowledge and experience required for professional registry practice.  It measures the requisite knowledge of applicants for the professional credential of CTR, or Certified Tumor Registrar.

Certification promotes professional growth and individual study by Cancer Registrars which is necessary for attaining and maintaining CTR credential. It formally recognizes Cancer Registrars who meet all the requirements for using the CTR credential; and assists employers, members of allied health professions, and public in assessing Cancer Registrars qualifications.

## NCRA’s Certification Examination

- 2003 NCRA established the Council on Certification
- Council on Certification Web site: http://www.ctrexam.org

## NCRA: Resources for Registrars

*NCRA: Resources for Registrars*

## NCRA represents Cancer Registry professionals and CTRs

**Notes:**
Since 1974, NCRA has represented Cancer Registry professionals and CTR’s.  NCRA is based in the Washington, DC, area and currently has more than 4,000 members from local, state, national, and international Cancer Registries.

## NCRA offers:

- Multiple educational and networking opportunities
- Annual national conference to build knowledge and expertise
- Promotion of professional standards and ethics
- Management of the CTR process and NCRA’s Council on Certification
- Publication of a peer-reviewed scientific journal and a quarterly newsletter
- A Web site offering a wide range of publications and
- 	information about educational
- 	opportunities
- http://www.ncra-usa.org

## Cancer Registry is a Dynamic Profession

*Cancer Registry is a Dynamic Profession*

## Registrars are dedicated, enthusiastic, and self motivated professionals
Registrars work closely with physicians and administrators
Registry data makes a difference in patient care and cancer research
Registrars perform a wide variety of interesting tasks, including data analysis
The profession offers regular work day hours with holidays and vacations
There is minimal supervision required for self motivated registrars

- Registrars are dedicated, enthusiastic, and self motivated professionals
- Registrars work closely with physicians and administrators
- Registry data makes a difference in patient care and cancer research
- Registrars perform a wide variety of interesting tasks, including data analysis
- The profession offers regular work day hours with holidays and vacations
- There is minimal supervision required for self motivated registrars

- Cancer Registry is a dynamic profession

**Notes:**
Registrars tend to love their work.  To work in a registry, you must be self motivated and detail oriented, not just in the data collection but also in the data analysis. 

The work requires medical and scientific knowledge but without hands on patient care; like the Health Information Management field.

The greatest satisfaction for Cancer Registrars is knowing that their work contributes to the knowledge of cancer, the improvement in patient care and valuable research on new medical technologies. 

## Cancer Registry careers are rewarding

- Registrar/Abstractor/Data Manager

- Administrators & Directors

- $33,600

- $61,600

**Notes:**
Cancer Registrar salaries are usually commensurate with Health Information position salaries.  Salaries range from an average for Registrar/Abstractor/Data Manager of about $33,600 annually to $61,600 for Administrators and Directors. Persons working for Contractor Services and in Central Cancer Registries may have slightly higher salaries. 

## Cancer Registrars Have Many Career Opportunities

- Hospitals and Health Care Facilities
- Software Vendors
- Government Agencies
- Pharmaceutical Companies
- Outsourcing or Contract services

**Notes:**
Cancer Registrars have opportunities to pursue other exciting career paths, including working in hospital administration, software sales and support, and program management in government or the private sector.  Many Cancer Registrars also enter the consulting fields.  Many of these careers offer flexible working arrangements, including telecommuting, and many offer travel opportunities.

## You and Cancer Registries:

- 	A Smart Choice for a Bright Future

**Notes:**
Cancer registrars are the intelligence officers on the front lines, collecting critical information that is used to develop the battle plan and to deliver the necessary troops to the right location at the right time in order to combat the enemy— cancer. As active members of the cancer team, registrars prepare and present data for cancer conferences, grand rounds, tumor boards, and planning meetings. Cancer registrars are the lifeblood of cancer registries and serve as the backbone of local, state, and national cancer surveillance and cancer control programs.  If you want to make a difference in the fight against cancer, this may be the career path for you!