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. 2017 Dec 15;123 Suppl 24(Suppl 24):4969-4976.
doi: 10.1002/cncr.30905.

The history and use of cancer registry data by public health cancer control programs in the United States

Affiliations

The history and use of cancer registry data by public health cancer control programs in the United States

Mary C White et al. Cancer. .

Abstract

Because cancer registry data provide a census of cancer cases, registry data can be used to: 1) define and monitor cancer incidence at the local, state, and national levels; 2) investigate patterns of cancer treatment; and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of public health efforts to prevent cancer cases and improve cancer survival. The purpose of this article is to provide a broad overview of the history of cancer surveillance programs in the United States, and illustrate the expanding ways in which cancer surveillance data are being made available and contributing to cancer control programs. The article describes the building of the cancer registry infrastructure and the successful coordination of efforts among the 2 federal agencies that support cancer registry programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. The major US cancer control programs also are described, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, and the Colorectal Cancer Control Program. This overview illustrates how cancer registry data can inform public health actions to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes and may be instructional for a variety of cancer control professionals in the United States and in other countries. Cancer 2017;123:4969-76. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Keywords: CRCCP; NBCCEDP; NCCCP; NPCR; SEER; cancer control; cancer history; cancer incidence data; cancer prevention; cancer registries; cancer screening program; cancer surveillance; population-based survival public health planning.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES

All authors other than Betsy A. Kohler are federal employees who contributed to this article as part of their official duties.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Funding status for cancer registries supported through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries or the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/index.htm).

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