HJAR Jan/Feb 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2022 31 José R. Romero, MD Secretary Arkansas Department of Health that could be linked to any specific person. If certain data, such as the number of cases for a specific cancer in a county or region, is small enough that it could identify a person, that data is not given out. The registry’s biggest challenge is helping healthcare providers understand what must be reported, because it is one of many re- porting requirements for healthcare work- ers. Larger hospitals typically have their own cancer registries with certified tumor registrars collecting information on cancer diagnoses or treatments within the facility. That hospital registry will then report the data to the state registry. Smaller hospitals or physician offices typically rely on nurses to pass the information on to the ADH. It is important for healthcare providers to remember that, by reporting this data to the state, they are not only helping the people of Arkansas but also themselves. Collected data are frequently used by healthcare providers themselves to learn what types of treatment are being given and to study areas of disparity or lack of treatment centers. The lack of nearby treat- ment centers, especially in a rural state like Arkansas, often means patients must travel for treatment, and that can often create a barrier to them for getting help. Help is available to all healthcare provid- ers wanting to learn more about report- ing requirements and how to report data. One of the registry’s own staff members has even been recognized for her efforts in education. This year, the NPCR named Melissa Riddle, ADH’s Arkansas Central Cancer Registry quality control and edu- cation manager, as its first Education and Training Coordinator (ETC) Future Lead- er Award Recipient. The award honors an ETC for outstanding leadership and train- ing in the field of cancer registry. It also recognizes individuals who demonstrate a commitment to education and whose work reflects a bold emphasis on mentor- ship and professional development to im- prove data quality. This past year, the regis- try staff was able to link the cancer registry data with the ADH’s data of patients who tested positive for COVID-19. The linkage found that nearly all cancer patients recov- ered from COVID-19 infection; however, regular cancer screenings are still needed during the pandemic, because people are still dying of cancer. More information on this can be found through the CDC link: https://blogs.cdc.gov/cancer/2021/07/12/ state-cancer-registries-study-covid-19-in- patients-and-survivors. Visit https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/ programs-services/topics/arkansas- cancer-registry to learn more about the Arkansas Central Cancer Registry and how to help with reporting cancer. n survivorship for residents of Arkansas. The registry receives about 18,000 newly diagnosed cancers each year. The cancer information collected is used to get a better picture of cancer within the state including what types of cancer are being diagnosed and treated across the state, if cancer within the state is increasing or decreasing, types of treatments being given and the survival rate for various forms of cancer. Registry staff and contractors also follow up with patients on subsequent treatments for the remainder of the patients’ lives. Follow- ups are used to learn how long patients live with cancer, how long the patients are cancer-free, whether cancer returns after they were disease-free, if the patient is ever diagnosed with a secondary cancer and, if they pass away, the cause of death. The reg- istry’s data is linked with death certificates and the National Death Index. Any information collected is protected. As a central registry, a person’s cancer di- agnosis or treatment must be reported to the state, but any identifying information is only used by registry staff for internal processes such as consolidating reported cases. It may also be used to help registry staff to investigate and respond to concerns such as whether there is a cluster of cases within a community. However, when data is released to the CDC or for research re- quests, it does not contain any information “Arkansaswas one of seven states to receive abase contract for researchsupport from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. It will have the ADH partnering with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute to enhance the infrastructure for cancer surveillance, treatment and research in the state and improve cancer care and survivorship for residents of Arkansas.”