Cancer Registrars
& The Cancer Registry Community
This page is intended as a resource to keep Oncology Data Specialists and the Cancer Registry Community informed on updates in the field, and specifically, reporting requirements in California. Topics of discussion will also be included to encourage dialogue amongst the cancer registry community. If there is information you would like to see posted here, please send us a message for consideration.
CTR Credential Renamed to ODS
The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) announced the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) credential has been renamed to Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) to align with the evolving scope of practice of cancer registrars. The new credential name was implemented on January 1, 2024. More information can be found on the NCRA website and updated FAQ sheet.
Listen to this CAPcast Episode!
Check out the College of American Pathologists’ Deeper Dives Into Cancer Registries podcast episode where Lara Harik, MD, FCAP, a pathologist at Emory University Hospital, talks with Peggy Adamo, a public health analyst for NCI-SEER and Andrea Sipin-Baliwas, Director of Registry Operations at the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program.
Registry Resources
NCRA Informational Abstracts
Using the Informational Abstracts in Your Registry
The abstract is the basis of all registry functions. It is a tool used to help accurately determine stage and to aid cancer research; therefore, the abstract must be complete, containing all the information needed to provide a concise analysis of the patient’s disease from diagnosis to treatment. To assist registrars in preparing abstracts, NCRA’s Education Committee has created a series of informational abstracts and a presentation titled Using the Informational Abstracts in Your Registry that shows registrars how to use these important resources. These site-specific abstracts provide an outline to follow when determining what text to include.
Cancer Reporting in California
California Cancer Registry
Cancer became a reportable disease with the enactment of Health and Safety Code, Section 103885 in 1985. The California Cancer Registry (CCR) has gathered information on all cancers diagnosed in California since 1988. (The only exceptions are basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and carcinoma in situ of the cervix.) The CCR website serves as a resource for registrars to have access to reportability standards in California, Data Alerts, and other state-specific information.
2018 Implementation
North American Association of Central Cancer Registries
This page is intended to be a source of information for central registries, hospital registries, and software vendors. On this site you will find information concerning new data items, edits, rules for determining multiple primaries and histologies, updates to histology codes, and educational activities.
2019 ePath reporting
California State Assembly Bill (AB) 2325
Per AB 2325, signed by Governor Jerry Brown on September 14, 2016, pathologists diagnosing cancer are to report cancer diagnosis to the California Cancer Registry (CCR) electronically by January 1, 2019. Defined reporting requirements and a standardized format for reporting pathology cancer diagnosis is outlined in the AB2325 Implementation Guide. Pathologists and pathology software providers will need to review the Implementation Guide and register with the CCR to meet California reporting requirements. A pathologist or pathology lab will be able to satisfy reporting compliance by adhering to the reporting requirements and standardized format regardless of the technical platform used to capture, store and submit data.
Firefighter Cancer Registry
H.R.931 - Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018
This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary registry of firefighters in order to collect history and occupational information that can be used to determine the incidence of cancer among firefighters. The registry must be used to improve monitoring of cancer among firefighters and to collect and publish epidemiological information. The CDC should seek to include specified information in the registry, including the number and type of fire incidents attended by an individual.
CAnswer Forum
An interactive virtual Bulletin Board
An Interactive, Virtual Forum to ask questions, search topics, and connect with the latest CoC events.
SEER Inquiry System (SINQ)
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program
The SEER Inquiry System (SINQ) is a searchable collection of questions that cancer registrars have had while coding cancer cases. These are questions submitted by designated registrars in SEER registries. The questions are answered by expert staff and go through a rigorous review process by NCI SEER staff and designated SEER registry staff before being added to SINQ.