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What Do Cancer Registrars Do? 

 
Cancer registrars are data information specialists who collect and report cancer statistics. Cancer registrars capture a complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status for every cancer patient in the U.S. 
 
 
Cancer registrars collect the data that provides essential information to researchers, healthcare providers, and public health officials to better monitor and advance cancer treatments, conduct research, and improve cancer prevention and screening programs. 
 
  •  Identify cases.
  •  Manage the cancer registry database.
  •  Ensure data completeness. 
  •  Comply with standards.
  •  Analyze and present data. 
  •  Run customized reports.  
  •  Inform community needs assessments.  
  •  Track patient survival data.
 
By collecting the data that makes up the cancer history of each cancer patient, information can be provided to researchers, healthcare providers, and public health officials to help: 
 
  •  Monitor cancer trends over time.
  •  Evaluate cancer patterns in populations and identify high-risk groups.
  •  Guide planning an evaluation of cancer control programs.
  •  Set priorities for allocating health resources.
  •  Study cancer causes and prevention strategies.
 
Cancer registrars work closely with physicians, administrators, researchers, and health care planners to provide support for cancer program development, ensure compliance of reporting standards, and serve as a valuable resource for cancer information with the ultimate goal of preventing and controlling cancer. 
 
Where Do Cancer Registrars Work? 

 

Most registrars work for hospitals or central cancer registries. (State registries are referred to as central registries.) A few work for federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries or the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.