What is NCRA?

NCRA is non-profit organization that represents over 7,000 cancer registry professionals and administers the ODS credential. The mission of NCRA is to empower and advance registry professionals through innovations in education, advocacy, credentialing, and strategic partnerships. NCRA provides ongoing training through various mediums including annual conferences, workshops, publications, and their continuing education credit program.

This curated data 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. Cancer registrars work for hospital, state, and federal cancer registries, and the information they collect is reported, by law, to state and federal government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute.

The National Tumor Registrars Association (NTRA) was chartered on May 14, 1974, in 1993, the NTRA became the National Cancer Registrars Association. In 2024, NCRA and its Council on Certification updated the name of its credential CTR, Certified Tumor Registrar, to ODS, Oncology Data Specialist. The new name better aligns with the evolving scope of practice of cancer registrars and reflects NCRA’s continued commitment to evolve with the cancer registry profession. This credential sets the standard for professional excellence in the cancer registry field. It is nationally recognized in the recruitment and retention of registry personnel.

Governance

Become a Cancer Registrar: A Beginner’s Guide

Cancer Registry Event Calendar

National Cancer Registrars Week

Center For Cancer Registry Education

ODS Credential

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