A cancer registrar is someone who manages a cancer registry, which is a database of carefully compiled cancer data. Many countries have cancer registries, and individual hospitals and research facilities may hire cancer registrars to keep track of trends that are specific to their facilities. Cancer registries are very useful tools for people who are interested in cancer, ranging from public health officials who want to pinpoint areas where more cancer screening would be beneficial to patients who want to know how rare their cancers are and what their chances of survival are.
Cancer registrars have a diverse set of skills. They are usually statisticians, as part of their job entails statistical analysis and discussion, or they may need to collaborate with statisticians who find it useful to have data presented in specific ways. They are also well-versed in cancer, having learned about the various types of cancer, how cancer is staged, and what treatments are available. Cancer registrars must also be skilled recordkeepers who are familiar with the diagnostic codes used in the field.
When a cancer registrar receives a new file, he or she abstracts and organizes the information so that it is easily accessible. Older entries are also routinely updated with new information, such as information about additional treatments, the patient’s health, and so on. Working with physicians and patients, the database is kept up to date.
When researchers access data from a cancer registry, the registrar ensures that personally identifying information is removed, leaving researchers with only basic demographic data such as the patient’s age, gender, race, and location, as well as information about the type of cancer, stage, treatments used, and treatment effectiveness. Each entry has also been thoroughly scrutinized by the cancer registrar to ensure that it belongs in the database; for example, a hospital would not keep records on patients who were treated at other facilities.
Researchers can use a cancer registry to look for patterns, such as unusually high cancer rates that could be linked to environmental toxins, or high rates of a screenable cancer caught in late stages, which could indicate that a population could benefit from more outreach and preventative screening. A cancer registrar can assist in identifying these patterns and keeping track of records so that researchers can keep an eye out for specific areas of interest. Those interested in this field can enroll in certification programs and exams that will prepare them to work as cancer registrars.