Improving Technical Aspects Of Registry Operations
The goal of registry operations research is to assess and improve
the accuracy of data collection and thereby improve the process
of cancer surveillance. The RRSS studies contribute to a greater
understanding of registry operations by investigating the quality
of data collected and the process of data collection. In addition
to these studies, NCI supports training for individuals working
in cancer registration and surveillance, including Internet-based
training.
RRSS investigators are conducting studies to:
- address the accuracy of registry data on race, ethnicity, and
birthplace and evaluate policies and practices regarding the collection
of such data;
- investigate the quality of cancer survivor data on American
Indians living in the lower 48 states;
- determine the quality and completeness of data in the SEER database
compared to administrative databases;
- address issues resulting from new data collection mandates:
- determine the feasibility and costs of complete brain tumor
registration;
- investigate the surveillance of nonmalignant tumors of the
central nervous system (CNS); and
- evaluate the resources needed to routinely collect data
on CNS tumors that are benign or of uncertain behavior;
- develop an Internet-based training program for cancer registration
and surveillance; and
- assess the feasibility of collecting body height, weight, and
obesity measures in a cancer registry.
Registries Funded to Conduct these Studies
Atlanta (Metropolitan)
Connecticut
Detroit (Metropolitan)
Hawaii
Iowa
Los Angeles
New Mexico
Northern California Cancer Center (SF-OAK)
Seattle (Puget Sound)
Utah
Key Findings
Collection of data on benign brain tumors approximately doubles
the amount of data on all brain tumors collected by each registry.
Foreign birthplace data derived from medical records or death certificates
is often incomplete and its accuracy is unknown. It is necessary
to improve the collection of these data in order to use birthplace
information in research studies.
Future Use
Data from these studies are used to assess and improve the quality
and efficiency of registry operations.
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