Improving Cancer Tracking Today Saves Lives Tomorrow:

Do States Make the Grade?Shelley Hearne, Dr.PH

Executive DirectorOctober 20, 2003

Red CDC funded cancer registries – basic implementation

Blue: CDC funded cancer registries – capacity building

Yellow:: NIH’s National Cancer Institute SEER Registries

From http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/index.htm

Do States Make the Grade?

CA

HI

AZ NM

TX

CO UT

NE

KS

OK

IA

MO

AR

AL GA

FL

SC

NC

VA KY

MI

WI

IL WV

NY

ME VT

CT

MA RI

NH

MD DE NJ

WA

OR ID

NV

MT

WY

ND

SD

MN

LA

MS

IN OH

PA

TN

DC*

D-F

C

B

A

TFAH State Grade Criteria Degree of state legislative support. This

involves financial contribution and laws authorizing a state cancer registry: 10% of grade

Working with local communities to answer questions as they arise: 20% of grade

Linking cancer data with other existing and relevant databases and making this available to researchers: 20% of grade

Data Quality. TFAH based its assessment on criteria set by the 2 cancer registry associations: 50% of grade

TFAH Policy Recommendations Connect and coordinate with other health databases

Additional $19 million to modernize the registries (electronic reporting, online user friendly, improve “lag time”)

Communities and researchers must have access to registry data, within limits of patient privacy

Move toward real time reporting starting with childhood cancers

Accountability and performance standards strengthened

IOM should issue report with clear suggestions for improvement