| About Us | |
| Vision | |
| "Quality Cancer Data for a Healthier Oregon" | |
| Mission Statement | |
| "The purpose of the registry shall be to provide information to design, target, monitor, facilitate, and evaluate efforts to determine the causes or sources of cancer among the residents of Oregon and to reduce the burden of cancer and benign tumors in Oregon." | |
| Organization | |
| Annual Performance Measures In August 1995, the Oregon Legislature unanimously passed legislation making cancer a reportable disease and established the Oregon State Cancer Registry (OSCaR) which began collecting information on all cancers diagnosed in Oregon as of January 1, 1996. Confidential data from each cancer case are collected and entered into OSCaR. Because of OSCaR, we are now able to provide detailed information (specific to Oregon) in our annual report: Learn more about OSCaR
Our current issue of the OSCaR Update, OSCaR's quarterly newsletter, shares information and updates about the Oregon State Cancer Registry including funding agency requirements, data issues, and other information aimed at improving cancer case reporting in Oregon. | |
| Programs | |
| Why was OSCaR established? Every year, thousands of Oregonians are diagnosed with cancer. Being able to identify who is diagnosed statewide is important in the development of ways to help prevent and control cancer. OSCaR is a population-based reporting system that collects and analyzes information about cancer cases occurring in Oregon. Oregon was one of the last states to develop a statewide cancer registry. Located in the Oregon Health Services, OSCaR was established by the 1995 Oregon legislature and began collecting information on all cancers diagnosed in Oregon as of January 1, 1996. The legislation states the following: "The Department of Human Services shall establish a uniform, statewide, population-based registry system for the collection of information determining the incidence of cancer and benign tumors of the brain and central nervous system and related data. The purpose of the registry shall be to provide information to design, target, monitor, facilitate, and evaluate efforts to determine the causes or sources of cancer and benign tumors among the residents of Oregon and to reduce the burden of cancer and benign tumors in Oregon." Data from OSCaR provide an overview of all cancers diagnosed in Oregon. This information is useful for cancer prevention programs, clinicians, policy makers, and the public for understanding the impact of cancer among Oregonians. In addition, OSCaR is a source of data for researchers who are conducting their own studies into the causes and/or treatment of specific types of cancers. What does OSCaR do?
Information processed by OSCaR comes from a variety of sources including: hospital cancer registries, state cancer registries, ambulatory surgical centers, physician offices, vital statistics, pathology laboratories, hospital medical record departments, and the US Census. Approximately 75% of Oregon's cancer cases are collected by established hospital cancer registries and are reported to OSCaR. The statewide, population-based cancer registry collects the remaining 25% from non-registry hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician offices, and neighboring state registries diagnosing or treating Oregon residents. What kinds of information are collected? The value of the Registry depends upon having accurate, individually identifiable information. Only cancer related information is collected. The following is part of each OSCaR record:
Patient identifiers are important because about one-third of all cases of cancer are diagnosed and/or treated in more than one hospital. This means that duplicate reports are submitted to OSCaR. Without patient identifiers on the report, Oregon would appear to have a higher cancer rate since it would be impossible to tell whether a case had already been reported. Who has access to my information? Confidential information is protected by federal and state laws. Information collected by OSCaR is very secure from public disclosure and cannot even be subpoenaed by a court of law. However, the data without personal identifiers is always available to researchers to assist them in cancer research. What is the benefit of being enrolled in a cancer registry? By collecting information about patients' diagnoses and treatment of cancer, it is possible to learn more about the disease and effective treatment. Patients enrolled in a cancer registry also have the opportunity to participate in cancer research. How can I participate in research? Each patient will receive a Research Participation Reply Form asking their willingness to participate in research projects. Those who decide "yes" will be contacted by a researcher directly if a research project for which they are eligible becomes available. Those who decide "no" will never be contacted. If the form is not returned, researchers will consult with the patient's physician before contacting the patient. | |
