The Surveillance Research Program (SRP) directs the collection and analysis of pertinent data in
order to answer key questions about cancer incidence, morbidity, mortality, and cancer-related
health status in diverse regions and populations in the United States. As part of the SRP mission, the Cancer Statistics Branch (CSB) manages the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results
(SEER) Program, an integrated, comprehensive, multiple population-based cancer registry system authorized by the National Cancer Act of 1971.
SRP also provides leadership, through its Statistical Research and Applications Branch (SRAB), in developing
statistical methodologies appropriate for analyzing trends and for evaluating the impact of cancer control
interventions as well as geographic, social, behavioral, genetic, and health care delivery factors on the
cancer burden.
An authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival, SEER currently collects and publishes data covering approximately 26 percent of the U.S. population. Established in 1973, the SEER Program provides the greatest longevity and highest level of standardization for population-based cancer information in the United States.
SEER*Stat Training Offered for the First Time at Society for
Epidemiologic Research (SER) Meeting
A team from the Surveillance Research Program (SRP)/Cancer Statistics
Branch (CSB) and Information Management Systems, Inc. (IMS), conducted a
premeeting workshop on analyzing Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results
(SEER) cancer data with SEER*Stat software at the 40th Annual Meeting of the
SER, June 19–22, 2007, in Boston, MA. SEER*Stat training team members included
Barry Miller (CSB), Marie-Josephe Horner (CSB), Don Green (IMS), Marty Krapcho
(IMS), and Steve Scoppa (IMS). The all-day workshop was the first to offer
SEER*Stat training to an audience beyond the cancer registry community. More
than 20 participants, including experienced epidemiologists, graduate students,
physicians, and professors, attended. New to SEER*Stat training was a session that
emphasized SEER*Stat's ability to use county-level attributes and allowed participants
to examine variables related to socioeconomic status and their impact on
cancer incidence.
Barry Miller, Dr.P.H., a CSB epidemiologist, stated, "A lot of the participants were
not just getting training, but also evaluating what was in the [SEER*Stat] software.
We received interesting comments regarding the use of p-values versus confidence
intervals in rates analyses."
For more information on upcoming SEER*Stat workshops and training sessions,
visit http://seer.cancer.gov/.
E-Path Software Discussed at 2007 NAACCR Conference Return to Top
During the North American Association of Central Cancer
Registries (NAACCR) Annual Meeting June 2–9, 2007, two
sessions on electronic pathology (E-Path) were held. Carol Kosary, M.A., a CSB mathematical statistician presented an
overview of the potential uses of electronic sources such
as E-Path in cancer surveillance as used in SEER*DMS and
through the Hawaii Tumor Registry's interfacing of E-Path
for managing its residual tissue repository specimens."The sessions allowed us to discuss E-Path conceptually,"
commented Kosary, "and to analyze E-Path as a model for
electronic reporting, as well as the next logical steps in
moving beyond E-Path, such as future expansion to other
electronic record types, including diagnostic imaging,
hematology, medical, or surgical records."
Designed by the software engineering firm Artificial
Intelligence in Medicine (AIM), E-Path provides a
solution for the automated electronic submission of
pathology reports, especially for rapid case ascertainment
and case-finding by central cancer registries. Since 2004,
NCI's SEER Program and AIM have been collaborating
to install E-Path within all SEER registries. Currently,
more than 100 installations are in various states of
completion.
NPCR and SEER Hold First Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Diseases Conference Return to Top
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)
National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and NCI's
SEER Program held a conference on current issues in
hematopoietic and lymphoid diseases July 9–11, 2007, at
the Atlanta Perimeter Center Marriott in Atlanta, GA. As a
CDC/NCI joint effort, the 3-day conference was the first of
its kind to bring together in one setting world-renowned
hematopathologists, researchers, clinical oncologists, cancer
registry experts, epidemiologists, informatics specialists,
and public health administrators. SRP staff members in
attendance included Peggy Adamo, R.H.I.T., C.T.R., Lois
Dickie, C.T.R., Carol Johnson, C.T.R., Denise Lewis, Ph.D.,
M.P.H., and Lynn Ries, M.S.
In consideration of the new classification system of lymphoid
neoplasms for epidemiologic research proposed by the
International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium
(InterLymph) and the forthcoming release of the 2008
World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors
of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues, the goals for the
conference were to: (1) understand the lymphatic and
immune systems from a cancer surveillance standpoint;
(2) understand and discuss current issues regarding the
classification and reporting of lymphatic and hematopoietic
diseases; and (3) begin developing a model to identify,
capture, and code these diseases identified from any location
at which they may be diagnosed and/or treated.
"The sessions helped identify areas in need of additional
attention and resources and provided opportunities to
work together to address the needs of the community,"
stated Steve Peace, C.T.R., Senior Study Director at Westat. "The hematopoietic and lymphoid diseases represent one
of the most rapidly evolving areas in cancer research,"
continued Peace.
"The outcome of this meeting will be used to inform the
activities of the SEER hematopoietics workgroup," stated
Denise Lewis, an NCI epidemiologist. "There was good brainstorming and discussion on issues facing C.T.R.s in central
and hospital registries. Physicians also were made aware of
the issues and provided valuable input," commented Lois
Dickie, public health analyst.
The SEER Cancer Statistics Review (CSR) is an annual
report of the most recent cancer incidence, mortality,
survival, prevalence, and lifetime risk statistics. Published
by NCI's CSB, this year's report provides statistics from
1975–2004, the most recent year for which data are available.
It includes information on more than 7 million cancer
cases diagnosed between 1973 and the end of the 2004
diagnosis year. Through the CSR search function, users
can extract and group pages to create customized PDF
files. Links also are provided at http://seer.cancer.gov to
access specific tables and graphs in the CSR.
Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, Mariotto A, Miller BA, Feuer EJ,
Clegg L, Horner MJ, Howlader N, Eisner MP, Reichman M, Edwards
BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2004, National Cancer
Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2004/.
Updates to State Cancer Profiles Web Site Return to Top
The State Cancer Profiles Web site, http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov, which provides dynamic views of cancer statistics
used in prioritizing cancer control efforts, was updated in
July 2007 to include the latest incidence, mortality, and
risk-factor data. This update included new incidence data
for diagnosis year 2003, provided by CDC's National
Program of Cancer Registries Cancer Surveillance System
(NPCR-CSS) from data originally submitted to NPCR in
January 2006. Incidence data for diagnosis year 2004,
submitted to NCI's SEER Program in November 2006, also
was added. From CDC's National Vital Statistics System,
new mortality data were provided to update death data
through 2004. New 2005 and 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) data were included as well.
Assessment of Measures of Health Disparities Monograph
This report provides an empirical
analysis of the performance and
suitability of potential measures
used to monitor and measure progress
toward eliminating health disparities in cancer-related
health outcomes. It complements a previous monograph that
evaluated measures of health disparity on theoretical
grounds. This new monograph presents results from 22
separate analyses in 10 case studies of trends in selected
cancer-related health disparities. Included are assessments
of socioeconomic, race, ethnic, and geographic disparities
in a selected range of cancer-related outcomes, such as
mortality, incidence, risk factors, and screening. The
monograph examines the consistency of health-disparity
measures across cancer-related outcomes and sheds light
on the implications of choosing different disparity measures to analyze the same data for monitoring progress toward
reducing health disparities.
Harper S, Lynch J. Selected Comparisons of Measures of Health
Disparities Using Databases Containing Data Relevant to Healthy
People 2010 Cancer-Related Goals. NCI Cancer Surveillance
Monograph Series, Number 7. National Cancer Institute. NIH
Pub. No. 07-6281. Bethesda, MD, 2007.
This monograph examines cancer
patient survival as influenced by
patient and tumor characteristics for
cancers diagnosed during the period
1988–2001 in the SEER geographic
areas covering approximately one
fourth of the U.S. population. Each
chapter covers a distinct anatomical
site and/or histologic types. The monograph
presents descriptive analyses of cancer survival rates and
provides detailed information to the medical community
concerned with prognosis.
NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
(DCCPS) currently funds a portfolio of more than 900 grants
and contracts. A wide range of research is supported,
including in surveillance, epidemiology, behavioral science,
health promotion, dissemination and diffusion, and cancer
survivorship. Future funding opportunities may be viewed
at http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/funding.html.
Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research Return to Top
In an effort to promote diversity in the research community,
funding is available for administrative supplements to NIH
researchers who support and recruit fellow researchers from
underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. For more information, visit http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/funding_minority.html.
NCI is inviting applications for several positions within SRP,
DCCPS. Candidates for all positions must demonstrate a strong
record of analytical and methodological research and scientific
collaboration. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is
required for federal positions. The U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) and NIH are equal opportunity
employers. Salary is commensurate with experience, and the
positions are located in Rockville, MD, near Washington, DC. For each position, send a letter summarizing your experience
and interests and a complete CV, including the names of
three references, by electronic mail to the listed contact.
SRP has an active program of research in the statistical analysis of
spatial and temporal patterns of cancer, spatial data visualization,
and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
(http://gis.cancer.gov/). Opportunities exist for collaboration and
leadership in the areas of spatial statistics and geographically
related analysis throughout NCI and with other NIH Institutes,
other federal agencies, and the extramural research community.
Requirements: A Ph.D. in biostatistics or a related field and
experience in spatial statistical methods applications and
research, with an emphasis on model-based methods. Experience in one or more of the following areas also is
desirable: disease-rate mapping, geovisualization, GIS,
and cancer registry data analysis.
Contact: Eric J. (Rocky) Feuer, Ph.D., Chief, Statistical
Research & Applications Branch, rf41u@nih.gov
Positions in Mathematical Statistics and
Biostatistics Return to Top
NCI has several positions available within the SEER Program.
Each position includes responsibility for initiating and
managing collaborative analyses with scientists from NCI
and other Institutes, agencies, and academic centers. Current openings include Senior Mathematical Statistician
(minimum 4 years' postdoctoral experience) and Biostatistician
(minimum 2 years' postdoctoral experience).
Contact: Judith Swan, M.H.S., Surveillance Research
Program, js60y@nih.gov
Quantitative Epidemiologist/Social Scientist Return to Top
SRP is inviting applications for a quantitative epidemiologist/social scientist with a focus on social correlates of cancer. The
position focuses on utilization of novel measures of health disparities,
examination of individual versus ecologic measures
of socioeconomic status, and/or geospatial analysis.
Requirements: A graduate degree and several years'
experience related to the study of health disparities.
Contact: Judith Swan, M.H.S., Surveillance Research
Program, js60y@nih.gov
Fellowship and Sabbatical Positions in Cancer
Surveillance Research Return to Top
SRP invites applications from qualified candidates in the
area of cancer surveillance research. The positions range
from summer-only to 1-year appointments. Successful
candidates will come into contact with scientists and public
health professionals representing a variety of research
disciplines. Mechanisms include the Cancer Research
Training Award (CRTA) and the Intergovernmental
Personnel Act (IPA) sabbatical position.
Contact: Dr. Ram Tiwari, Statistical Research and
Applications Branch, tiwarir@mail.nih.gov
The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) will
hold its 34th annual conference April 27–30, 2008, in
Minneapolis, MN. For more information on this meeting,
including on registering for the program and presenting
posters, visit http://www.ncra-usa.org/conference/.
2008 NAACCR Annual Conference
The 2008 North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) Annual Conference will be held June 9–12, 2008, in Denver, CO, at the Grand
Hyatt Denver. Further information on the conference program
and registration may be found on the NAACCR Web
site at http://www.naaccr.org.
2008 SER Annual Meeting
The 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic
Research (SER) is scheduled for June 24–27, 2008, in Chicago,
IL. For further information, visit http://www.epiresearch.org.
MP/H Coding Rules Online Breeze Web Casting
Registrars can find advanced training on the 2007 Multiple
Primary and History (MP/H) Coding Rules covering breast, colon, lung, and urinary cancer sites through the NCI
SEER Program's new online training sessions, titled "Beyond the Basics." Problems registrars have encountered
using the rules are clarified and addressed. The sessions,
complete with transcripts, cases, answers and rationale,
and continuing education certificates, are accessible
through the SEER Web site at http://www.seer.cancer.gov/tools/mphrules/training_advanced.html. For training on the
basics of MP/H coding rules, registrars can continue to access
online training sessions, titled "The Fundamentals," at
http://www.seer.cancer.gov/tools/mphrules/training_basics.html,
which covers head and neck, lung, colon, breast, urinary,
melanoma, kidney, brain, and other cancer sites.
Contact
Antoinette Percy-Laurry at percyl@mail.nih.gov with
questions regarding this training.
Principles of Oncology Training Program in
Cancer Registry Operations and Procedures
A. Fritz and Associates is offering a 5-day training
program in cancer registry operations and procedures
entitled "Principles of Oncology," December 10–14, 2007,
in Reno, NV. The course is endorsed by the NCRA and
NAACCR and recommended by NCI's SEER Program. The registration fee for the program is $949. For more
information, including registration procedures and a
daily class schedule, visit http://www.afritz.org/pocr.htm.
CISNET Grantees Awarded Dissemination and
Diffusion Supplement
Michael Soto, Ph.D.
In August 2007, two Cancer Intervention and Surveillance
Modeling Network (CISNET) grantees were approved for
funding under the Dissemination and Diffusion of
Surveillance Research supplements. A supplement was
awarded to Jeanne Mandelblatt, M.D., M.P.H., of
Georgetown University, Washington, DC, for her existing
CISNET grant, titled "The SPECTRUM of Breast Cancer
David Levy, Ph.D.
Disparities." This supplement, which will be led by
co-Principal Investigator Michael Stoto, Ph.D., also of
Georgetown University, will support the dissemination of
a simulation to determine the
expected effects of changes in
screening, risk factors, and treatment
on predicted breast cancer
mortality of women in the DC area.
The second supplement was awarded
to David Levy, Ph.D., from the
Pacific Institute for Research &
Evaluation in Calverton, MD, for
his current CISNET grant, titled "A Simulation of Tobacco Policy, Smoking, and Lung Cancer." This supplement will support the dissemination of SimSmoke, a dynamic computer
simulation model to track changes in smoking behavior and
mortality for policymakers and health advocates. The
simulation model will assess the effect of tobacco control
policies in reducing smoking-related morbidity and
mortality in Kentucky.
This is the second year that DCCPS has supported supplements for the dissemination and diffusion of surveillance
information. DCCPS anticipates
releasing a similar notice for applications in FY08, which will be circulated to SRP grantees and posted on the SRP and DCCPS Web
sites. For more information, contact Emily Dowling at
dowlinge@mail.nih.gov.
Kevin Dodd, Ph.D., a Mathematical
Statistician in SRAB since 1999, left
SRP to join the Biometry Research
Group of NCI's Division of Cancer
Prevention (DCP). In his new
position, Dr. Dodd will continue
his work in the field of dietary
assessment and measurement
error. He also will serve as the DCP
representative to the Nutrition and
Behavior subcommittee, part of the
Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening
Trial (PLCO). Dr. Dodd received his Ph.D. from Iowa State
University in 1999.
Steve Meersman, Ph.D., Moves to Rhode Island
Department of Health
In April 2007, Stephen C. Meersman,
Ph.D., moved to a new position as
the Provision of Care Program
Manager at the Office of HIV/AIDS
and Viral Hepatitis at the Rhode
Island (RI) Department of Health. In this position, Dr. Meersman
will oversee the RI AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP), a
pharmacy benefit program conducted in accordance with the
Ryan White CARE Act to help low-income, uninsured, and
underinsured HIV/AIDS-affected populations. Dr. Meersman
also will coordinate Title II services and affiliated programs.
This includes providing community-based and statewide
HIV/AIDS support services.
Dr. Meersman worked at SRP for 2 years developing a
research agenda to integrate surveillance data from the
SEER Program and ecological databases to address social
determinants of cancer health disparities. Serving as
liaison between SRP and the wider NCI community, Dr.
Meersman chaired both the Health Disparities Seminar
Series and the DCCPS Health Disparities Interest Group.
William Davis, Ph.D., an SRAB
mathematical statistician, was
awarded the Statistical Partnerships
among Academe, Industry and
Government (SPAIG) award from
the American Statistical Association
(ASA), an NCI collaboration that
includes the biostatistics departments of the University of
Michigan and the University of
Pennsylvania, CDC's National
Center for Health Statistics and
the Behavioral Surveillance Branch of the National Center
for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and
Information Management Systems, Inc. (IMS). NCI began the project for which Dr. Davis received the award in
response to the challenge of determining how information
from multiple surveys can be combined to provide single,
small-area estimates of cancer risk factors and cancer
screening behavior. In addressing this challenge, Dr. Davis
recognized the complementary strengths of moderate-size,
in-person surveys with high response rates and large RDD
surveys with moderate response rates. "We've been working with other academic and government researchers on this
problem for 6 years now. It is gratifying to see our effort recognized through a national award from the most prominent
U.S. statistical association. I'd like to take complete credit,
but I've just been a good team player," stated Dr. Davis.
The award was presented July 31, 2007, in Salt Lake City,
UT, at the Presidential Address Session during ASA's
Annual Meeting. For information on future ASA meetings,
visit http://www.amstat.org.
Xihong Lin, Ph.D., Receives NCI MERIT Award
In June 2007, Xihong Lin, Ph.D.,
professor of Biostatistics at Harvard
University and member of the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
received NCI's MERIT Award for
work on her grant, "Statistical
Methods for Correlated and High-Dimension Biomedical Data." Dr.
Lin's project proposes to develop
advanced statistical informatics
methods for high-dimensional genomic data in population
studies, such as gene (SNP) selection, joint effects of genes
in a genetic (metabolic) pathway, gene-gene (SNP-SNP)
interactions, and gene-environment interactions. Dr. Lin
expressed her gratitude to NCI for this coveted award and
added that, "with the rapid progression of biotechnology
and genomics, quantitative research such as biostatistics
and computer sciences becomes increasingly critical in
advancing modern health sciences research. This MERIT
award will allow me to focus better on advancing the field
and develop a long-term plan by working closely with
health sciences researchers."
Dr. Lin received her Ph.D. in biostatistics from the University
of Washington in 1994 and has published more than 90 articles
in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Lin also serves as Principal
Investigator for two NCI-funded conference grants that
address statistical issues in biomedical and cancer research.
Monica Jackson, Ph.D., joined SRAB
as a mathematical statistician in May
2007 under the Intergovernmental
Personnel Act (IPA). Dr. Jackson
comes to SRP on sabbatical from
American University (AU). She
received a Ph.D. in applied mathematics and scientific computation
and completed her thesis, "Spatial
Data Analysis for Discrete Data on
a Lattice" at the University of Maryland. She obtained her
B.S. in mathematics and M.S. in applied mathematics from
Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Jackson also
worked at Emory University as a postdoctoral researcher
in biostatistics. Currently, she serves as assistant professor
of statistics in AU's Department of Mathematics and
Statistics. Her credentials include publications in
Contemporary Mathematics, Encyclopaedia of Environmetrics,
and Geographical Analysis, and numerous invited lectures
throughout the United States. During her sabbatical at
SRAB, Dr. Jackson will work on projects in the fields of
spatial data analysis. Despite her busy schedule, Dr.
Jackson makes time for other interests such as bowling.
She also enjoys swimming and amateur photography,
especially portraiture.
Leyda Su Ham Joins SRP
Leyda Su Ham, D.O., M.P.H., M.B.A, joined SRP as a Health
Communications Intern through a Cancer Research Training
Award (CRTA) fellowship in the Office of the Associate
Director in July 2007. Dr. Su Ham graduated this year
after being dually enrolled in the Nova Southeastern
University (NSU) College of Osteopathic Medicine and
Master in Public Health Program in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Her previous experience includes interning at the
Caridad Health Center in Boynton Beach, FL, and working
as a graduate research assistant at NSU's Institute for Child Health Policy. She holds a B.S.
in biology and an M.B.A. from
NSU's Farquhar College of Arts and
Sciences and H. Wayne Huizenga
School of Business and Entrepreneurship,
respectively. Dr. Su Ham
has strong interests in preventive
medicine, public health administration,
and health communications.
At SRP, she will be involved in
the initiation, development, and
production of a variety of media, surveillance research,
and other health promotion projects. Away from the office,
Dr. Su Ham enjoys spending time with her family and
friends, traveling, reading, rollerblading, and Web design.
Kimberly Walters Joins SRP
Kimberly A. Walters joined SRAB in July 2007 as a biostatistician
through the CRTA fellowship program. Ms. Walters Kimberly Walters, B.S.
CRTA Fellow
is a Ph.D. candidate in biostatistics at
The Ohio State University (OSU) and
plans to graduate in June 2008. Ms.
Walters has a B.S. in chemistry with
a minor in mathematics from the
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in
Troy, NY. She has provided statistical
support for a National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH)-funded
psychology intervention study and
is a member of the American
Statistical Association, Caucus of Women in Statistics, and
Mensa. Ms. Walters made a presentation on "Giving
Treatment to Controls: When Is It a Good Idea?" at the
2007 Joint Statistical Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT. As a
CRTA fellow for the summer term, Ms. Walters worked with
Dr. Ram Tiwari on cancer surveillance research projects. One
of these projects was a paper, "Comparing Age-Adjusted
Rates in Overlapping Regions or Time Intervals." In her
spare time, she enjoys contemporary fiction, books on CD,
aerobics, Pilates, yoga, and listening to National Public
Radio.
Clegg LX, Reichman ME, Hankey BF, Miller BA, Lin YD, Johnson
NJ, Schwartz SM, Bernstein L, Chen VW, Goodman MT, Gomez SL,
Graff JJ, Lynch CF, Lin CC, Edwards BK. Quality of race, Hispanic
ethnicity, and immigrant status in population-based cancer registry
data: implications for health disparity studies. Cancer Causes
Control. 2007 Mar;18(2):177-87. Epub 2007 Jan 11.
Cronin-Fenton DP, Ries LA, Clegg LX, Edwards BK. Rising incidence
rates of breast carcinoma with micrometastatic lymph node
involvement. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Jul 4;99(13):1044-9. Epub
2007 Jun 27.
Graubard, BI, Hartman AM, Gilpin EA, Murray DM, Stillman FA. Contributors: Gibson JT, Davis W. Chapter 9. Final outcomes: analytical
methods and results. In: National Cancer Institute. Evaluating ASSIST: A Blueprint for Understanding State-level
Tobacco Control. Tobacco Control Monograph No. 17. Bethesda,
MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National
Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. NIH Pub. No. 066058,
October 2006.
Mariotto AB, Etzioni R, Krapcho M, Feuer EJ. Reconstructing PSA
testing patterns between black and white men in the United States
from Medicare claims and the National Health Interview Survey.
Cancer. 2007 May 1;109(9):1877-86.
Mariotto AB, Rowland JH, Ries LA, Scoppa S, Feuer EJ. Multiple
cancer prevalence: a growing challenge in long-term survivorship.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Mar;16(3):566-71.
Ravdin PM, Cronin KA, Howlader N, Berg CD, Chlebowski RT,
Feuer EJ, Edwards BK, Berry DA. The decrease in breast cancer
incidence in 2003 in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2007 Apr
19;356(16):1670-4.
Yu B, Barrett MJ, Kim HJ, Feuer EJ. Estimating joinpoints in continuous
time scale for multiple change-point models. Comput Stat Data
Annal. 2007 Feb 1;51(5):2420-7.
The 2007 SEER Program Managers and Principal
Investigators (PI) Meetings will be held November 7–9,
2007, at the Neuroscience Building located at 6001
Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD. Individuals from
NCI's DCCPS and SEER's 18 cancer registries are invited to
discuss issues in cancer surveillance. For more information,
visit http://www.scgcorp.com/seerpi2007, or contact Betsy
Flagg at eflagg@mail.nih.gov.
SEER Data Name Change
With the latest SEER Data for the years 1973–2004 released
in April 2007, the SEER "Public Use" file has been renamed
the SEER "Limited Use" file. The change is in name only
and reflects the fact that users always have been required
to sign and abide by a data-use agreement to guarantee
confidentiality. It also corresponds with legislative
requirements and privacy-protection practices that ensure
user awareness of the responsibilities involved when using
the data. Researchers should rest assured that the name
change does not affect any procedures and that the data
source still can be accessed and used as before. Citations in
journal articles currently submitted or in press need not be
corrected; however, citations in new journal articles should
use the term "Limited Use" in place of "Public Use."
Kentucky Deploys Web-Based GIS System for
Cancer Incidence and Mortality Data
Since August 2002, the Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR),
a SEER registry, has provided a Web-based geographic
information system (GIS) for state and local cancer data,
hosted at http://cancer-rates.info. Users can publicly access and
query cancer incidence and mortality data using selectable
criteria such as geography, cancer site, and diagnosis
year(s). NCI recently provided funding to add the SEER
registries of Iowa, Connecticut, New Mexico, Hawaii, and
Seattle to the Web site. New Jersey SEER registry data
have been available on cancer-rates.info since 2004.
The cancer-rates.info Web site complements the State Cancer
Profiles Web site (http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/)
and includes context-sensitive links to the State Cancer
Profiles site; State Cancer Profiles provides reciprocal
Web links to cancer-rates.info. Cancer-rates.info permits
each participating registry to manage its individual Web
site and its own data. In contrast, the State Cancer Profiles
Site is designed to present a consistent and uniform view of
cancer data for all U.S. states. Cancer-rates.info also includes
data for all SEER site groups, statewide age-specific data,
and bar graphs for comparing incidence and mortality
rates among geographical regions.
SEER Registry Staff Profiles
Thomas C. Tucker, Ph.D., M.P.H.,
Director, Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) Return to Top
Thomas C. Tucker, Ph.D., M.P.H., is Director of the KCR, Associate
Director for Cancer Prevention and
Control at the University of
Kentucky, Markey Cancer Center,
and Chair of the Epidemiology
Department in the College of Public
Health. Dr. Tucker's dedication to
the science of cancer surveillance
has spanned more than 30 years. Under his guidance and direction,
the KCR has continued to grow and has become one of the
highly recognized registries in the United States.
Established as a population-based central cancer registry
in 1990 by the state legislature, the KCR was selected by
NCI to join its SEER program in 2001. This designation
was a reflection of the KCR's record of excellence as a population-based cancer reporting system.
"Being part of the SEER program definitely has made the
KCR a stronger registry," stated Dr. Tucker. "The SEER program registries are required to maintain very high standards
for quality, completeness, and timeliness. These quality
standards have helped to insure that the SEER registries are
among the best cancer registries in the world."
In addition to overseeing the KCR, Dr. Tucker is actively
involved in population-based cancer research at the state,
national, and international levels. Serving as PI for both
NCI's SEER Program and the CDC's NPCR, his research
analyzes variations in the patterns of are for stage III
colorectal cancer in Kentucky, explores human growth
factors related to colon cancer, and examines factors related
to cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Appalachian
Kentucky. He has participated in developing methods for
estimating the completeness of case ascertainment in
population-based cancer registries.
Dr. Tucker contributed to the cancer control literature in
such notable publications as the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute, Journal of Rural Health, Annals of Internal
Medicine, Journal of the Kentucky Medical Association, and
Journal of Registry Management. He also is a co-editor of
the second edition of the book, Central Cancer Registries:
Design, Management, and Use, which was published in 2007
and serves as an independent reference for central cancer
registry methodology.
Dr. Tucker also is active in NAACCR. He served as president
and as a member of the Board of Directors. He chaired the
NAACCR Committee that developed certification standards
for central cancer registries and chaired the first NAACCR
Uniform Data Standards Committee. He currently chairs
the Data Evaluation and Certification committee.
Dr. Tucker received a number of awards for his work in
cancer surveillance and cancer control. He was recognized by
the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) with
the "Outstanding Service" award. More recently, he
received the Calum S. Muir Award for "lifetime contributions
to cancer surveillance," NAACCR's highest honor.
Selected SEER Publications From Dr. Tucker:
Tucker T. Using central cancer registry data for cancer control. In: Menck H, Deapen D, Phillips J, and Tucker T, eds. Central
cancer registries: design, management and use. 2nd ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2007.
Weir H and Tucker T. Certification for central cancer registries. In: Menck H, Deapen D, Phillips J, and Tucker T, eds. Central
cancer registries: design, management and use. 2nd ed.Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2007.
Tucker T, Huang B, Klinglesmith R, Tuckson, W. Colorectal
Cancer Subcommittee of the KMA Cancer Committee. Colorectal
screening practices in Kentucky. J Ky Med Assoc. 2005 Aug;
103(8)349-53.
Lengerich EJ, Tucker TC, Powell RK, Colsher P, Lehman E, Ward
AJ, Siedlecki JC, and Wyatt SW. Cancer incidence in Kentucky,
Pennsylvania, and West Virginia: disparities in Appalachia. J
Rural Health. 2005 Winter;21(1):39-47.
Tucker T and Howe H. Measuring the quality of population-based cancer registries: the NAACR perspective. J Reg Manage. 2001;28(1):41-45.
Joanne Harris, Chief of the Cancer
Surveillance Unit, Detroit Cancer Registry Return to Top
Joanne Harris, a Certified Tumor
Registrar since 1983, serves as Chief
of the Cancer Surveillance Unit in
the Division of Epidemiology at the
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer
Institute in Detroit, MI. Mrs. Harris
has an impressive record of dedication to cancer research, having spent
more than 40 years fighting cancer
in her home state. Beginning as a
clerk-typist and abstractor at the Karmanos Institute in the
early 1960s and 1970s, Mrs. Harris achieved extensive experience, including supervisory and managerial, in cancer data
collection and abstracting. This led to her becoming
Associate Director of Cancer Surveillance in 1982. Just 2
years later, she became Chief, a position she has held for
more than 20 years.
She oversees the collection of data for cancer research that
is used by scientists worldwide. Specifically, she manages
the daily operations of the Detroit SEER Program, also
known as the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance
System (MDCSS). She oversees the abstracting and editing
of cancer registry information and ensures compliance
with the SEER contract. She served on the SEER advisory
committee from 1996–1999 and has been on the E-path
subcommittee since 2005.
Mrs. Harris has been a driving force in ensuring quality
control. She emphasized, "Quality control is important to
ensure data accuracy. In the Detroit registry, we stress
and require documentation. In fact, coding is only as
good as your documentation. We also perform quality
checks on case findings and cancer registry abstracts. We
take great care in checking for inconsistencies in both the
central and area hospital registries so that organizations
that rely on us receive the most accurate information."
"Registries have become important in the fight against
cancer. Over the past 40 years, I have seen changes in
survival rates that would not be visible if you did not
collect this information in a registry," explained Mrs.Harris. "Many special studies have been developed out of
the data pulled from the registry, looking in-depth at
genetics, social behaviors, economics, and other factors
that cause some people to get cancer. You could not have
such important research if you did not have a registry
from which to glean this information."
Mrs. Harris has been a member of the Karmanos Cancer
Hospital Cancer Committee since 2001 and serves on several committees as a member of the NCRA, NAACCR, and
Michigan Cancer Registrars Association (MICRA). For
MICRA, she served as president from 1989–1990 and in
the dual roles of liaison and historian from 1993–1999.
In describing her overall experience in cancer research,
Mrs. Harris stated, "It has been wonderful. There
always is a goal to reach, and I am learning continuously. It also is very satisfying to know that, in the end, the
data I am helping to collect are helping in the fight
against cancer."
Bane AL, Beck JC, Bleiweiss I, Buys SS, Catalano E,
Daly MB, Giles G, Godwin AK, Hibshoosh H, Hopper
JL, John EM, Layfield L, Longacre T, Miron A, Senie R, Southey
MC, West DW, Whittemore AS, Wu H, Andrulis IL, O'Malley FP.
BRCA2 mutation-associated breast cancers exhibit a distinguishing
phenotype based on morphology and molecular profiles from
tissue microarrays. Am J Surg Pathol. 2007;31(1):121-28.
Blair CK, Sweeney C, Anderson KE, Folsom AR. NSAID use and
survival after breast cancer diagnosis in post-menopausal
women. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007;101(2):191-97.
Chang ET, Canchola AJ, Lee VS, Clarke CA, Purdie DM,
Reynolds P, Bernstein L, Stram DO, Anton-Culver H, Deapen D,
Mohrenweiser H, Peel D, Pinder R, Ross RK, West DW, Wright
W, Ziogas A, Horn-Ross PL. Wine and other alcohol consumption
and risk of ovarian cancer in the California Teachers Study
cohort. Cancer Causes Control. 2007;18(1):91-103.
Chang ET, Lee VS, Canchola AJ, Clarke CA, Purdie DM, Reynolds P,
Anton-Culver H, Bernstein L, Deapen D, Peel D, Pinder R, Ross RK,
Stram DO, West DW, Wright W, Ziogas A, Horn-Ross PL. Diet and
risk of ovarian cancer in the California Teachers Study Cohort. Am J
Epidemiol. 2007 April 1;165(7): 802-13. Epub 2007 Jan 8.
Huang KP, Weinstock MA, Clarke CA, McMillan A, Hoppe RT, Kim
YH. Second lymphomas and other malignant neoplasms in patients
with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome: evidence from population-based and clinical cohorts. Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(1):45-50.
Ka'opua LS, Gotay CC, Boehm PS. Spiritually based resources in
adaptation to long-term prostate cancer survival: perspectives of
elderly wives. Health Soc Work. 2007;32(1):29-39.
Keegan TH, Gomez SL, Clarke CA, Chan JK, Glaser SL. Recent
trends in breast cancer incidence among 6 Asian groups in the
Greater Bay Area of Northern California. Int J Cancer. 2007;120(6):1324-29.
Madeleine MM, Anttila T, Schwartz SM, Saikku P, Leinonen M,
Carter JJ, Wurscher M, Johnson LG, Galloway DA, Daling JR. Risk of cervical cancer associated with Chlamydia trachomatis
antibodies by histology, HPV type and HPV cofactors. Int J
Cancer. 2007;120(3):650-5.
Mitra N, Heitjan DF. Sensitivity of the hazard ratio to nonignorable treatment assignment in an observational study. Stat Med.
2007;26(6):1398-1414.
Polednak AP. Suicide among breast cancer patients who have had
reconstructive surgery: a population-based study. Psychosomatics.
2007;48(2):178-9.
Saltzstein SL, Behling CA. Age and time as factors in the left-to-right shift of the subsite of colorectal adenocarcinoma: a study
of 213,383 cases from the California Cancer Registry. J Clin
Gastroenterol. 2007;41(2):173-7.
Sun LM, Li CI, Huang EY, Vaughan TL. Survival differences by race
in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;165(3):271-8.
Trivers KF, Gammon MD, Abrahamson PE, Lund MJ, Flagg EW,
Kaufman JS, Moorman PG, Cai J, Olshan AF, Porter PL, Brinton
LA, Eley JW, Coates RJ. Association between reproductive factors and breast cancer survival in younger women. Breast
Cancer Res Treat. 2007;103(1):93-102.
Wakelee HA, Chang ET, Gomez SL, Keegan TH, Feskanich D,
Clarke CA, Holmberg L, Yong LC, Kolonel LN, Gould MK, West
DW. Lung cancer incidence in never smokers. J Clin Oncol.
2007;25(5):472-8.
Dr. Thomas Tucker, Director of the
Kentucky Cancer Registry, recently
contributed as a book editor and
author of two chapters in the second edition of Central Cancer
Registries: Design, Management and Use,
recently published by Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Dr. Tucker's two chapters are entitled Using Cancer
Registries for Cancer Control, and Certification for Central
Cancer Registries. The second chapter was written in collaboration with Dr. H. Weir. Considered the "bible for
central cancer registries," the book provides an overview
of these registries and details the complex processes involved
in planning, designing, operating, and ensuring the use of
central registries with a population-based mindset. The
book covers practical issues—such as use of technology,
selection and training of staff, and quality control—as
well as followup procedures, incidence and survival rate
calculation and interpretation, types of studies, prevention
and control applications, and legal issues. Written at a
graduate level, the book can be used as a general source
textbook, a bibliographic reference of publications on
central registry methodology, a study reference for registry
exams, or as course training material.
Menck H, Deapen D, Phillips J, and Tucker T, eds. Central cancer registries: design, management and use. Dubuque, IA:
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2007.
CISNET Staff Profile
Ruth Etzioni, Ph.D., University of Washington Return to Top
Ruth Etzioni, Ph.D., is a full member of the Public Health Sciences
Division of the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center and an
affiliate professor of biostatistics
and health services at the
University of Washington. She is a
PI for the CISNET prostate group.
Dr. Etzioni's work with prostate
surveillance has focused on creating mathematical and
computer models to answer the following questions:
(1) What is the value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
screening versus advances in prostate cancer treatment?
(2) What are the costs of PSA screening? and (3) What is
the link between disparities in care and racial differences in
prostate cancer outcomes? In tackling these challenging
and controversial problems, Dr. Etzioni created an innovative simulation model of disease progression and prostate
cancer outcomes that is the only model to date to track
biomarker growth as part of its description of the disease's
natural history.
Building on her previous CISNET work, "PSA Screening
and U.S. Prostate Cancer Trends," which modeled the contributions of PSA screening to mortality declines, Dr. Etzioni's current project, "Modeling U.S. Prostate Cancer
Trends: PSA, Treatment, and Race," relates trends in disease
incidence and mortality to trends in screening and treatment
among U.S. whites and blacks. Dr. Etzioni describes her
field of study as varied and interdisciplinary. Her work in
developing and implementing statistical models for prostate
cancer depends heavily on synthesizing information on
the natural history of disease and increases in PSA levels
before diagnosis, racial differences in the use of interventions, and outcomes of treatment and screening. Through
these models, Dr. Etzioni hopes to better quantify the impact of PSA screening, prostate cancer prevention, and
treatment advances on disease incidence and mortality.
She believes strongly that well-founded and transparent
models are essential when projecting the benefits and
costs of cancer control interventions and should be used
routinely in developing public health policies for prostate
cancer.
Born in South Africa, Dr. Etzioni moved to the United States in
1986 and received both her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in statistics
at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, before
joining the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in 1992. She
also is a leader of the biostatistics core for the Northwest
Prostate Cancer Specialized Program of Research
Excellence (SPORE), working on immunohistochemical
studies and microarray experiments, and is an affiliate
investigator for the Early Detection Research Network
(EDRN) at the Data Management Coordination Center,
working on biomarker development.
Dr. Etzioni has been an NIH and NCI grantee since 2000.
Additionally, she has published articles in such peer-reviewed journals as the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, International Journal of Biostatistics, American
Journal of Epidemiology, and Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers, and Prevention.
Excited to be a part of such a revolutionary program,
Dr. Etzioni explained that her CISNET collaborations have
allowed her to become a better modeler than when she
first began to look at the issue of PSA screening 10 years
ago. She feels that the role of CISNET is to ensure that
state-of-the-art methods are used to develop models in a
collaborative setting that builds deep understanding of
both the substantive and mathematical aspects. Dr.
Etzioni stated that, "A population really is the ultimate
uncontrolled experiment. CISNET recognizes the nature
of this uncontrolled experiment and understands what it
takes to make quantitative versus speculative inferences."
Selected CISNET Publications From Dr. Etzioni:
Inoue LYT, Etzioni R, Morrell C, Müller P. Modeling disease progression with longitudinal markers. J Am Stat Assoc (in press).
Mariotto AB, Etzioni R, Krapcho M, Feuer EJ. Reconstructing
prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing patterns among black and
white men in the U.S. from Medicare claims and the National
Health Interview Survey. Cancer. 2007 Mar 19;109(9):1877-86.
Telesca D, Gulati R, Etzioni R. Estimating lead time and overdiagnosis associated with PSA screening from prostate cancer incidence
trends. Biometrics. 2007 May 14 [Epub ahead of print].
Shaw PA, Etzioni R, Zeliadt SB, Mariotto M, Karnofski K, Penson
DF, Weiss NS, Feuer EJ. An ecologic study of PSA screening and
prostate cancer mortality in nine geographic areas of the U.S. Am J Epidemiol. 2004 Dec 160(11):1059-69.
Zeliadt SB, Penson DF, Albertsen PC, Concato J, Etzioni RD. Race
independently predicts prostate specific antigen testing frequency
following a prostate carcinoma diagnosis. Cancer. 2003 Aug 1;98(3):496-503.
Rutter CM, Miglioretti DM, Yu O. A hierarchical non-homogeneous Poisson model for meta-analysis of adenoma counts. Stat
Med. 2007;26:98-109.
Vogelaar I, van Ballegooijen M, Schrag D, Boer R, Winawer SJ,
Habbema JD, Zauber AG. How much can current interventions
reduce colorectal cancer mortality in the U.S.: mortality projections for scenarios of risk-factor modification, screening, and
treatment. Cancer. 2006 Aug 24;107(7):1624-33.
Prostate Working Group
Tsodikov A, Garibotti G. Profile information matrix for nonlinear
transformation models. Lifetime Data Anal. 2006 Oct 5 [Epub
ahead of print].
Office of the Associate Director (OAD)
Telephone: 301-496-8506
Fax: 301-480-4077
Brenda K. Edwards, Ph.D., Associate Director
Betsy Flagg, Program Analyst
Amy Garson, Program Analyst
Terri Harshman, Program Analyst
Marsha Reichman, Ph.D., Surveillance Research Coordinator
Leyda Su Ham, D.O., M.P.H., M.B.A., Health Communications Intern
Judith Swan, M.H.S., Public Health Advisor
Cancer Statistics Branch (CSB)
Telephone: 301-496-8510
Fax: 301-496-9949
Marsha E. Reichman, Ph.D., Acting Chief
Peggy Adamo, R.H.I.T., C.T.R., Public Health Analyst
Lin Clegg, Ph.D., Mathematical Statistician
Lois Dickie, C.T.R., Public Health Analyst
Milton Eisner, Ph.D., Health Statistician
Marie-Josephe (M.J.) Horner, M.S.P.H., Epidemiologist
Nadia Howlader, M.S., Biostatistician
Carol Johnson, C.T.R., Public Health Analyst
Carol Kosary, M.A., Mathematical Statistician
Denise R. Lewis, Ph.D., M.P.H., Epidemiologist
Barry Miller, Dr.P.H., Epidemiologist
Antoinette Percy-Laurry, M.S.P.H., Public Health Analyst
Lynn Ries, M.S., Health Statistician
Jennifer Ruhl, R.H.I.T., C.T.R., Public Health Analyst
Dave Stinchcomb, M.A.-Geo/M.S.C.S., Geographer
Statistical Research & Applications Branch
(SRAB)
Telephone: 301-435-7739
Fax: 301-480-2046
Eric J. (Rocky) Feuer, Ph.D., Chief
Kathy Cronin, Ph.D., Mathematical Statistician
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Rose Fredua, Program Analyst
Lan Huang, Ph.D., Mathematical Statistician
Monica Jackson, Ph.D., Mathematical Statistician
Angela Mariotto, Ph.D., Mathematical Statistician
Ram Tiwari, Ph.D., Mathematical Statistician
Kimberly Walters, Ph.D. Candidate, Biostatistician
Division of Extramural
Activities Support
(DEAS)
Telephone: 301-496-8506
Fax: 301-480-2046
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Leader
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Assistant
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Assistant
Administrative Resource Center (ARC)
Telephone: 301-451-9470
Fax: 301-435-5071
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