A tumor registrar is a health-care professional who is responsible for compiling data on cancer patients into a database. They can help monitor different types of cancer by working with large amounts of data on the disease. Their research aids in the development of current health policies as well as the assessment of how the disease will be treated in the future. Tumor registrars can be certified by taking a basic course or pursuing long-term education.
A tumor registrar’s job entails at least three different types of research and data entry. A tumor registrar can work in a hospital or cancer treatment center, collecting information on all of the patients’ cancers, treatments, and survival rates over the course of their lives. Another type of registrar examines a broader set of data, such as statewide or national data on cancer types, treatments, and survival rates. On a local or national level, a third type of registrar focuses solely on a single type of cancer.
Tumor registrars can make a big difference in the fight against cancer, no matter what level of data they’re working with. Tumor registrars create reports and treatment plans based on the information they collect, in addition to entering disease data. They track patients from the beginning of their treatment to their remission or death. A tumor registrar must also consider a patient’s race, birthplace, and other socioeconomic factors that may influence the disease.
There are several paths to becoming a tumor registrar, but all of them require some form of formal education. A student who wants to work as a registrar will need an associate’s degree in medical information technology, depending on the level at which they want to work. This will entail taking anatomy, physiology, biostatistics, and data registry management classes. A person who is interested can enroll in classes at a school or use online classes. They will have to take a formal test for full certification in both cases.
A student interested in becoming a tumor registrar may need to conduct research because there are so many different areas to focus on. Local and national cancer research databases frequently distribute brochures that can assist a student in determining the type of training required for the level of job he is interested in. Sample tests and self-teaching courses are also available from these sources. They can also provide information on current job openings and pay scales.