There is a so-called Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) in Texas, which performs several vital functions, including prevention, treatment, and monitoring of such a dangerous disease as cancer. In addition, the list of functions of the Texas Registry also includes numerous studies aimed at fighting cancer. This organization has gone a long way in its formation, and in 2004 for the first time, meeting the high standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two years later, in 2006, the Texas Registry received Gold Certification from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.
Texas Department of State Health Services provides the following information “there has been a decrease in the number of cancer patients whose cases are adjusted for age, but the number of new cases is gradually increasing” (para 6.). In 1995, 74,466 Texans were diagnosed with cancer, and the age-adjusted cancer incidence rate was 474.8 per 100,000 people. In 2017, 114,402 Texans were diagnosed with cancer, an increase of 53.6 percent. However, the age-adjusted cancer incidence rate dropped to 400.1 per 100,000 people.
Cancer is a global problem that scientists and doctors in many countries have put a lot of effort and time into fighting. Texas Department of State Health Services assumed that “in 2020, more than twenty thousand women and twenty-five thousand men would die from cancer” (para 6). According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, “among the most common types of cancer in Texas, the first places are occupied by lung and bronchial cancer” (para 7). The figures presented by the Texas Department of State Health Services show that “about fifty percent of cancer deaths are due to these types of cancer” (para 7). An estimated 161 Texas children will die of cancer in 2020. It is expected that 72 more teenagers will die from this disease. Unfortunately, the reality is that cancer is the leading disease that leads to the death of children and adolescents in Texas and the USA.
The main goal of any measures, both administrative and clinical, aimed at combating oncological diseases, is to reduce morbidity and mortality, as well as improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Reporting sources are becoming important, such as cancer treatment centers, surgical centers, and laboratories that supplement information related to cancer in the state. Texas Registry states that “it collects numerous data on cases of cancer patients, thereby making a significant contribution to the prevention and control of cancer and improving the health of all patients who have cancer” (para 3). There are specific laws and regulations established by the state, according to which cancer reporting is carried out for each patient who is treated for cancer in Texas. The law obliges all medical institutions, surgical centers, and doctors to give a complete and accurate report on patients with cancer, but the specific requirements for different institutions may differ.
For the search for a solution to the problem of cancer to move in the right direction, healthcare professionals should have the latest information about diagnosed cancer cases and cancer deaths. Medical institutions, such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pathology laboratories, transmit data on cancer cases to their cancer registry. Standardized codes are widely used, with the help of which the data of patients’ medical records are transferred to computer archives, and this process is monitored by highly qualified cancer registrars (North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, n.d.). Central cancer registries electronically provide demographic and clinical information on cancer incidence in NPCR or SEER every year. The data that enters the cancer registry is used for various purposes, among which are:
- Following the trends of cancer development over time.
- Showing the patterns of cancer development in different populations and identifying high-risk groups.
- Guiding for planning and evaluating cancer control programs.
- Helping set priorities for the allocation of health resources.
- Performing advanced clinical, epidemiological, and health research.
One of the goals of NPCR is to provide cancer data to public health planners and others to monitor the burden of disease and implement cancer prevention and control programs. Many studies have been published, including Cancer in Texas 2020, the Use of Texas Cancer Registry Data, the Texas Cancer Registry 2020 Legislative Report, the Cancer Reporting Guide 2021, and Cancer Statistics and the Spring 2021 Newsletter.
Many different statistics are available on the Internet, for example, the incidence and mortality from cancer, which count and evaluate newly diagnosed cases of cancer and cancer mortality on leading sites. Some statistics reveal the number and frequency of cancer cases in children from 0 to 19 years old. Also, there are statistics, the purpose of which is the number of expected cancer cases and death from cancer. It is possible to find statistics on the estimated prevalence of cancer, which indicates the estimated number of living people with diagnosed cancer. Following Texas Cancer Registry, “the percentage of patients who have lived at least five years after being diagnosed with cancer also has its statistics, called survival statistics” (para 4). In addition, there is an opportunity to get acquainted with multiple statistical reports, among which there are reports on liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer, cancer reports among the elderly, cancer screening reports, and many others.
Members of the Texas Register Research Group have many opportunities for additional education services year-round. Research group members have access to various advanced training courses, online training, and exciting quizzes. In addition to all of the above, this organization offers interactive online training with real instructors who conduct informative webinars (North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, n.d.). The TCR exam requires diligent preparation, so this course consists of eight classes, each of which lasts two hours.
Hospital cancer registers store data on all patients who have been diagnosed and treated for cancer in a particular institution. The hospital oncology registry focuses on clinical care and hospital management. Cancer data collected by the unified hospital registry is also used to train doctors as a data source for some types of research and evaluate the use of some institutions. The organization periodically conducts various tests and exams that allow maintaining the functions of the registration department at a high level. Moreover, statistics on the quality of work, feedback, and employee sentiment are constantly being collected. The organization has a clear set of reporting rules that all employees are required to follow. These rules define the term cancer, and describe the components of the registry concept and provide a list of instructions necessary for the correct collection and use of information regarding patients with cancer.
Cancer registry specialists have many essential responsibilities designed to facilitate patients’ conditions and the collection of data on cancer cases. Protecting the confidentiality of information concerning patients who have cancer is one of the primary responsibilities of registry specialists. The Texas Cancer Registry is required to provide administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect patients’ data (North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, n.d.). Following cancer reporting rules, reports, records, and information received by the Texas Cancer Registry are private and not subject to divulgation. Moreover, no institution or individual is civilly or criminally liable for providing information to the Texas Cancer Registry, as required by law. Thus, the privacy policy is vital in this organization, which means that patients’ data is not disclosed under any pretext.
The development and dissemination of cancer registries have been an essential tool for the direct study of oncological diseases and for evaluating the effectiveness of measures to combat them. Data on the prevalence of oncological diseases is necessary to assess oncology problems’ current state and dynamics, identify goals, and prioritize further work. In the era of evidence-based medicine, reliable evidence of achieving this goal is necessary to introduce new and maintain already implemented programs. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of cancer registries for health organizations. In particular, the role of cancer registry data in the distribution of financial flows in healthcare is high.
Decisions need to be made at the level of individual regions and cities. Still, the ability to analyze data on chronic diseases, including malignant neoplasms, in a particular area is usually insufficient. A consistent approach is needed, in which it can be said, for example, that if there is an increased incidence of cervical cancer in a given region, it is possible to redistribute resources by scientific knowledge and start a cervical cancer screening program. In the future, it will be possible to evaluate its effectiveness. The presence of a cancer registry makes it possible for long-term planning, including activities based on the prevalence of various oncological diseases in a given area.
References
North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. (n.d.). Web.
Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d). Web.