What is a central cancer registry?
Cancer registries collect data about the occurrence of cancer (incidence), the types of cancer that occur, the body site location, the extent of disease at the time of diagnosis (stage), the kinds of treatment received by cancer patients, and the outcome of treatment and clinical management (death or survival). Cancer data are reported to the central statewide registry from a variety of medical facilities including hospitals, physicians’ offices, therapeutic radiation facilities, freestanding surgical centers, and pathology laboratories.
A central cancer registry is a data system that collects, stores, analyzes, and interprets cancer data from a defined geographical area. The basic information comes from patients’ medical records. All names and data that could identify a patient are kept confidential. For every cancer case, the registry includes: • When the cancer was diagnosed • Where the cancer occurred in the body • How far advanced the cancer was when it was found • The specific type of cancer • The patient’s first course of treatment • Demographics like age, race, gender and county of residence Where does the information on cancer cases come from? More than 80% of cases are reported electronically from hospitals with existing cancer registries. The remaining information comes from non-registry hospitals (hospitals without cancer registries), independent pathology laboratories, freestanding treatment centers, and physician offices. Information from non-registry hospitals, independent pathology labs, and freestandin
