MCR MINI-UPDATE APRIL 2011
Fellow Registrars,
Happy NCRW!We hope that you have something special planned to honor your registry on April 11-15. Please know that MCR appreciates you all year long – we depend on you for high quality cancer data that is so important in tracking cancer incidence.In fact, one national article written from cancer registry data is cited below. Thanks for all you do each day to help fight the war on cancer!
On becoming a CTR:
If you are considering becoming a CTR, this new Fact Sheet from NCRA on gaining CTR credentials will point you in the right direction:
MCR Required Fields List– Clarification
As mentioned in the last newsletter the 2011 Required Data Elements are posted on the MCR web site. Please note that the format is different. It is an Excel workbook. The first tab = the traditional table including the schemas for which SSFs are required. The second tab lists only the additional schemas where SSFs that are required “as available.”
Date of Diagnosis - Reminder
The field Date of Initial Diagnosis must not be submitted with a blank year – if the exact date is unknown, the rules direct you to record an estimated year. Of course, text indicating that it was estimated is helpful. While an edit is not yet available, MCR QA staff will be monitoring this field for blanks in 2010 cases. Perhaps you’ll want to check in your own quality reviews.
May Live Meeting
On May 11 at 10 am, Cate Ellis will present Coding Meningioma Cases. Contact Hope Morris to register: .
Abstracting Tip
Remember when coding diagnosis date, that elevated PSA does not constitute a clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer without additional use of reportable terminology.
Security Lessons
The following security breach points out the importance of confirming that sensitive data is always stored on a secured server. In the MSU case internal email was not secure. You might ask your IT staff to clarify for you what locations are secured and unsecured at your facility.Remember that MCR asks you not to email PHI to us!
Statistics Report from NAACCR:
For those of you with interest in national statistics, here is another way that the data you submit to MCR gets used:
Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2007, Featuring Tumors of the Brain and Other Nervous System
Betsy A. Kohler, Elizabeth Ward, Bridget J. McCarthy, Maria J. Schymura, Lynn A. G. Ries, Christie Eheman, Ahmedin Jemal, Robert N. Anderson, Umed A. Ajani, Brenda K. Edwards
BackgroundThe American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) collaborate annually to provide updated information on cancer occurrence and trends in the United States. This year’s report highlights brain and other nervous system (ONS) tumors, including nonmalignant brain tumors, which became reportable on a national level in 2004.
MethodsCancer incidence data were obtained from the National Cancer Institute, CDC, and NAACCR, and information on deaths was obtained from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The annual percentage changes in age-standardized incidence and death rates (2000 US population standard) for all cancers combined and for the top 15 cancers for men and for women were estimated by joinpoint analysis of long-term (1992–2007 for incidence; 1975–2007 for mortality) trends and short-term fixed interval (1998–2007) trends. Analyses of malignant neuroepithelial brain and ONS tumors were based on data from 1980–2007; data on nonmalignant tumors were available for 2004–2007. All statistical tests were two-sided.
Results Overall cancer incidence rates decreased by approximately 1% per year; the decrease was statistically significant (P < .05) in women, but not in men, because of a recent increase in prostate cancer incidence. The death rates continued to decrease for both sexes. Childhood cancer incidence rates continued to increase, whereas death rates continued to decrease. Lung cancer death rates decreased in women for the first time during 2003– 2007, more than a decade after decreasing in men. During 2004–2007, more than 213 500 primary brain and ONS tumors were diagnosed, and 35.8% were malignant. From 1987–2007, the incidence of neuroepithelial malignant brain and ONS tumors decreased by 0.4% per year in men and women combined.
ConclusionsThe decrease in cancer incidence and mortality reflect progress in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment. However, major challenges remain, including increasing incidence rates and continued low survival for some cancers. Malignant and nonmalignant brain tumors demonstrate differing patterns of occurrence by sex, age, and race, and exhibit considerable biologic diversity. Inclusion of nonmalignant brain tumors in cancer registries provides a fuller assessment of disease burden and medical resource needs associated with these unique tumors.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2011;103:1–23
The Annual Report to the Nation includes data on 93% of the US population. We could not produce this Report without the hard work of all the central registries. Thank you!
Full Report:
Press Materials:
Looking for a FIN Number?
Here the site that lists all of the ACoS FINs. You may find this helpful, especially if your registry is on a state border.
New Blog
The American Cancer Society “Expert Voices” blog, available at provides timely cancer and health-related information from the experts of the American Cancer Society, as well as other knowledgeable clinicians, researchers, and authors. Current offerings include discussion of – Are hot dogs good for you? and Cancer-sniffing dogs.
Molecular Genetics – a Developing Field
Many of the site-specific factors that we have collected under Collaborative Stage rules involve molecular genetics testing. If you are interested in this evolving field, check out this article: NCCN Panel Calls for Higher Standards, Better Ways of Translating Molecular Genetics into Clinical Practice.
NCCN Guidelines on Cancer Treatment Updated
These articles may help you stay abreast of new cancer treatment recommendations:
- Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Section Integrated into Updated NCCN Guidelines for NHL
- Second-Line TKIs Offer Expanded Treatment Options for Newly Diagnosed Patients with CML
- New Treatment Options Lead to Steady Progress Against Ovarian Cancer; Clinical Trials Remain Imperative
- Active Surveillance Monitoring More Stringent in Updated NCCN Guidelines for Prostate Cancer
As always, I welcome your feedback as we seek to make these communications as helpful as possible to the hospital registrars.
Enjoy Spring!
Nancy H. Rold, CTR
QA Unit Supervisor
Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center