Month: July 2021

Blog, Cancer, cancer registrar

What Are Biomarkers?

Jul 29, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , , ,

Biomarkers, or biological markers, are molecules found in body tissues and fluids, including tissue and blood. Cancer biomarkers provide important information about the patient’s tumor. Biomarker terminology varies but it may also be called biomarker testing or tumor testing. Biomarkers are usually a protein or antibody that is released by the tumor, or they may be the body’s response to the presence of cancer, which shows up like a gene mutation. There are a number of biomarkers used by clinicians today and more are being studied.

When a clinician orders a biomarker study, they are looking to answer important questions about the patient’s disease that may include:

  • How aggressive is this cancer?
    • Prognostic biomarkers tell us about the estimated course, or progression, the cancer will take if it is not treated. These markers help to identify how well organized the cell is, or if it is not functioning at all.
  • What is the best drug to use to treat this cancer?
    • Predictive biomarkers are ordered to identify the best available treatment because they may preduct whether or not the cancer will respond to a specific treatment.
  • Will this cancer recur, or when will it come back?
    • Recurrence biomarkers may be used to monitor the presence of a cancer or whether it has recurred after initially responding to treatment.
  • What type of cancer does the patient have?
    • Diagnostic biomarkers aid in identifying the type of cancer a specific patient may have.
  • What is the correct dose of drugs needed to treat an individual patient?
    • Pharmacodynamic biomarkers are useful to determine the dose, usually chemotherapy, that will be given to the patient.

As you can see above, biomarker testing helps the clinician identify critical information needed to develop and deliver an effective plan of treatment. Testing should happen as close to the diagnosis as possible and before a treatment plan is launched.

Discussion of biomarker results or as a predictor for treatment or recurrence is included in multidisciplinary cancer conferences (aka tumor boards) and physician-to-patient discussions. Cancer Registrars gather biomarkers and include relevant values and their types in the cancer case abstract that is used for clinical research, quality studies and comparative analysis.

(Source: Biomarkers and Biomarker Testing, Fight Colorectal Cancer, Springfield, MO.)

Agencies, Blog, cancer registrar, NCRA

New Cancer Registry Management Principles and Practice for Hospitals and Central Registries

Jul 28, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , ,

Today NCRA announced the release of the new 4th Edition, Principles and Practice for Hospitals and Central Registries textbook. This new edition was revised by a volunteer team of cancer registry professionals representing various standard-setting agencies and groups from the cancer surveillance community in North America. The 4th edition is now for sale in the NCRA Store and NCRA members ma purchase at a discounted rate. An e-version of the book is also available.

The textbook contains a history of cancer registration, discussion on the roles of key organizations, description of the cancer data collection process, and details the flow of data from hospitals to the state, national and federal agencies. It is divided into four sections:

  • Cancer Registry,
  • Data Collection and Abstraction,
  • Data Aggregation and Quality, and
  • Uses of Cancer Registry Data.

New chapters ave been added and a focus on the cancer patient’s journey has been added to give context and to illustrate how their journey is connected to the data collection and flow.

If you are a new registrar and studying for the CTR exam, make sure you refer to the CTR Exam Handbook before purchasing to make sure you have the correct version of the book in hand for study.

Agencies, Association of Community Cancer Centers, Blog

Survivorship in the Era of Immunotherapy

Jul 27, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , , ,

Advances in immunotherapy (IO) have shown promising outcomes for subsets of patients that have been resistant to convention treatment. However, these patients have also experience late physical and psychosocial effects of cancer and its treatment, such as depression, pain or fatigue, which negatively impacts their quality of life.

The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has released a two-part webinar / lecture series with supporting resources to address this topic. You can view both videos below or CLICK HERE to access the online resources.

Improving Care Team Communication and Coordination for Immuno-Oncology Survivor
Meeting the Psychosocial and Physical Well-Being Needs of Immuno-Oncology Survivors

Blog, Connections, Events, NCRA, News & Events

NCRA Call for Abstracts Now Open

Jul 26, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , ,

The National Cancer Registrar’s Association (NCRA) will launch its first hybrid conference April 6-9, 2022 in Washington D.C. with the return of the long-awaited in-person conference plus an option to register for virtual sessions. More info on registration and lodging will be announced later this year.

The window to submit oral presentation and poster abstracts is now open. Deadline to submit is August 27, 2021. All submissions are reviewed by the 2022 Program Comimttee and selected presenters will be notified by November 5, 2021. Registrars are encouraged to submit their topics, best practices and Registry solutions using the following links:

Some suggested topics include:

  • COVID-19 (impact on patients, treatment or survival, data collection or registry operations)
  • Casefinding (tell us about your advanced best practices or information sources)
  • Data Use (high-quality data collection, correlation to epidemiological or quality studies)
  • Abstracting and Coding (best practices or how you have handled problematic situations, visual editing, XRT coding)
  • Treatment and Evidence-Based Guidelines (cytogenetic or molecular genetics and how it impacts abstracting)
  • CoC, NAPBC or NAPRC standards, RCRS implementation, Survivorship Program best practices
  • Data Quality
  • Follow-Up
  • Registry Management and Operations
  • Professional Development
  • Central Cancer Registries

After you have logged into the Abstract Collection Site you will be asked to identify if your topic is for oral presentation or a poster. The 2022 Program Committee makes the final decision on the intended presentation’s format and will ask the presenter(s) for their agreement. Each submission includes a short, descriptive title, three learning objectives, a 150-word description, and a 100-word presenter bio. Oral presentations are being accepted for both plenary (45-60 minutes) and concurrent (30-45 minute) sessions.

Agencies, Blog, Certification, NAACCR

CTR Exam Prep Series

Jul 25, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , ,

The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) next CTR exam prep series will begin on August 24, 2021.

The program offers online, interactive instruction with live instructors. Eight 2-hour sessions are included at a subscription rate of $195 per person.

Included in the subscription rate is:

  • 8 weekly lectures presented by experienced instructors,
  • Question and answer (Q&A) sessions,
  • Study materials,
  • Weekly online quizzes, and a
  • Timed practical test during the last session.

To subscribe, CLICK HERE.

Agencies, Blog, Cancer Prevention

Cancer Prevention 2021 (infographic)

Jul 24, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , , ,

The American Cancer Society (ACS) conducts long-term studies on how research helps people to understand, prevent, and treat cancer. Research helps to identify links between a behavior or lifestyle and an individual’s risk of getting cancer. For example, cigarette smoking and lung cancer, or the impact of being overweight or obese on cancer incidence or death, and so forth.

Cancer Registrars collaborate with physicians, nurses and administrators to plan and conduct cancer prevention and screening events. They use information from research to identify what we have learned from research and to develop prevention events and educational topics that are targeted uniquely to the community.

The ACS infographic (see below) is a useful resource that can be used by Cancer Registrars and community outreach coordinators as they plan their cancer prevention events in 2021.

cancer-prevention-studies-infographic-printDownload
Blog

Her2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer

Jul 23, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , , , , , , ,

Her2 is a growth-promoting protein found on the outside of all breast cells. If they have a higher than normal level of Her2 they are called Her2-positive. Her2+ breast cancers tend to grow and spread faster than other breast cancers, but are also more likely to respond to treatment with drugs that target the Her2 protein. Women with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancers should be tested for Her2. According to the American Cancer Society, testing is usually done at the time of the biopsy and is usually tested with either immunohistochemical stains (IHC) or Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network, or NCCN, has released two patient educational videos on Her2+ metastatic breast cancer that we have included for you below. Cancer Registrars may also find these videos to be informative.

Agencies, Blog

Lessons Learned from COVID-19

Jul 18, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , , ,

ACCC (Association of Community Cancer Centers) has reaffirmed its commitment to integrating health equity, diversity, and inclusion into its advocacy for cancer patients. ACCC has a long-standing history of developing opportunities to increase racial and ethnic minority clinical representation; advocating for reimbursement and coverage of telemedicine and virtual health services and in supporting the professional well-being of the cancer team to improve provider and patient satisfaction.

The infographic below was recently published and summarizes some of the lessons learned in the clinical and administrative setting during and after the pandemic.

Fast Facts – 2020 Trends from Lessons Learned from COVID-19Download

To read the entire article, click here.

Blog

Distance from Hospital Impacts Cancer Diagnosis and Survival in Young Adults

Jul 18, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , ,

Adolescents and young adults who live in rural vs metropolitan counties in the United States, and further away from hospitals, are more likely to be detected at a later cancer stage, and have lower survival rates, as compared to those living in metropolitan counties and close to the hospital.

In a recent study from the Brown School at Washington University, “A number of studies have indicated that place of residence can influence cancer survivoral, however, few studies have specifically focused on geographic factors and outcomes in adolescents and young adults with cancer.”

Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) records, over 180,000 records for adolescents and young adults were analyzed, ages 15-39 years who were diagnosed with cancer from 2010-2014. The results determined that residence in metro, urban or rural counties at the time of diagnosis. Distance between the patient’s residence and the reporting hospital was categorized as short (< 12.5 miles), intermediate (between 12.5-50 miles) and long (> 50 miles).

Study results found that adolescents and young adults living in rural counties had a 1.16 to be diagnosed at a later stage and 1.2 times greater if they were living at a long vs short distance from the hospital. Death rates were 1.17 times greater for those living in rural versus metropolitan counties and 1.30 times greater for long versus short distances from the reporting hospital.

Researchers at Brown hope to continue to evaluate geographic disparities in cancer care to understand the mechanisms for these findings and to encourage interventions to address them.

For cancer registrars working in accredited programs, use of the CQIP reports may offer opportunities for the Cancer Committee to look at these geographic and age-related disparities at your local facility.

To view the original article, click here.

Blog, NCRA

Best Practice Series for Cancer Registrars

Jul 15, 2021 by SuperCTR 0 Comments , , , ,

The National Cancer Registrar’s Association (NCRA) launched a new information series, titled “NCRA Best Practice Guidance Series” in April 2021. As the industry leader in cancer registry salary and workforce research, NCRA has teamed up with partner organizations to identify the needs, launch initiatives and coordinate studies that will promote outcomes. Much of this work has been designed to share national workload and time management data relevant for hospital- and central cancer registry based Registrars.

The NCRA Best Practice Guidance Series is the first of a series NCRA plans to release that will organize and deliver a structured set of information on a variety of cancer registry workforce procedures, management and activities to guide cancer registry operations and staffing needs.

The first resource to be launched in this series, titled “Why Your Staff are Your Top Resource When Considering Outsourcing Services in Support of the Cancer Registry” was released in April, 2021. Additional resources will be released as they become available.

To download the NCRA Best Practice Guidance Series: Why Your Staff Are Your Top Resource When Considering Outsourcing Services in Support of the Cancer Registry, click here to be redirected to the NCRA webpage.