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The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has used rapid response surveillance studies to address key issues in
cancer surveillance, ranging from small pilot and feasibility studies to larger studies. These studies began
in 1987 when the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) registries conducted its
first population-based Patterns of Care Study. The rapid response surveillance
studies were expanded in 1992 to include a broader range of topics. New and emerging issues related to cancer
prevention and control can be investigated by the SEER registries using this mechanism that allows studies to
move from the initial concept through completion in a relatively short interval, usually within two years. Research
areas addressed by these studies have included evaluation of cancer surveillance methodologies and cancer treatment
outcomes, and monitoring screening practices linked to cancer outcomes. In addition, these studies have supported
pilot and feasibility studies dealing with the development of procedures for enhanced monitoring of health behaviors
and risk factors, the expansion of the utility of SEER data through linkage with other databases, and the improvement
of the technical aspects of cancer registry operations. Studies conducted under the rapid response surveillance
mechanism have served as background for larger research initiatives funded by other federal and private mechanisms.
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