State health departments recognize the need for cancer surveillance, and many state cancer registries have been in place for years. In the past, however, funding was often problematic. Additionally, most participating states continue their pre-grant level of funding and provide new matching funds in the ratio of one state dollar for every three federal dollars provided. One state receives funds from both NPCR and the SEER program, and only one state receives no federal funds for cancer surveillance. Today, as a result of significant state contributions and the recent boost provided by increased Federal funds, virtually all states have a cancer registry that is statewide and population-based.
Meaningful data are available from most states.
Most states have implemented procedures for electronic data collection and transmission, use standardized edits and other quality control procedures, and have adopted supporting statewide legislation and regulations. Both commercial and public use software is available to facilitate uniform reporting of incident cases. Because of these ongoing efforts, the proposed nationwide surveillance would not impose an additional burden on state health departments. Most state health departments publish incidence and mortality rates for major cancers every year and respond to multiple inquiries. Additionally, because of cancer's significant disease burden, funding sources are available for conducting research using surveillance data.