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Cancer is a major national burden.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death among
Americans. In the year 2000 alone, an estimated 552,200
Americans died of cancer. This amounts to more
than 1,500 people a day. Each year, cancer costs our
nation an estimated $107 billion in health care expenditures
and lost productivity from illness and death.
Reducing the nation’s cancer burden is a great and
noble cause that involves many people, including
physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health
planners, legislators, medical students, and others.
All of these people appreciate and rely on cancer
data in their effort |
to win the "War on Cancer."
Physicians need cancer data
to learn more about the causes of cancer and detect cancer
earlier, thereby increasing the chance of finding a cure. Cancer
specialists make treatment choices based on accurate cancer
data from such sources as reports from pathologists and
cytologists. Even after treatment, cancer specialists still
need cancer data to follow-up with the patient long enough
to determine whether the treatment has worked and if not,
to determine why not. Because cancer registries provide
this type of data, they are valuable research tools for
those interested in the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment
of cancer.
Cancer data may point to environmental
risk factors or high risk behaviors, so preventive measures
can be taken to reduce the number of cancer cases and resulting
deaths. Local, state, and national cancer agencies and cancer
control programs also use registry data from defined areas
to make important public health decisions that maximize
the effectiveness of limited public health funds, such as
the implementation of screening programs.
Lifetime follow-up is another important
aspect of the cancer registry. Current patient follow-up
serves as a reminder to physicians and patients to schedule
regular clinical examinations and provides accurate survival
information.
In brief, the importance of
cancer registries lies in the fact that they collect accurate
and complete cancer data that can be used for cancer control
and epidemiological research, public health program planning,
and patient care improvement. Ultimately, all of these
activities reduce the burden of cancer. As Dr. Donna Shalala,
the former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services, noted: “A
national system of cancer registries can help us understand
the disease better and use our resources to the best effect
in prevention and treatment.”
