HJAR Jul/Aug 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2025 61 Jennifer Dillaha, MD Director Arkansas Department of Health Why it matters Cancer registries like ACCR are essential for public health. They allow us to: • Track cancer trends over time. • Identify populations at higher risk. • Measure the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs. • Detect potential cancer clusters in communities. • Guide state policies and allocate resources for cancer care. For example, registry data has informed updates toArkansas cancer screening guide- lines and supported programs offering free or low-cost screening services to uninsured residents. It also plays a role in national re- ports, such as the United States Cancer Sta- tistics and the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. Ensuring data quality The registry takes great care to ensure data accuracy, completeness, and timeliness. Data is required to be submitted within six months of diagnosis or treatment through a secure online system and goes through multiple rounds of quality checks. Facili- ties receive feedback on data entry errors, and ACCR staff follow up on such cases to ensure corrections are made. The registry also conducts annual audits to ensure no cases are missed. The ACCR team follows national data standards set by the North American As- sociation of Central Cancer Registries, which require at least 95% case completeness and near-zero error rates on critical variables. TheACCR continues tomeet those standards. Who uses registry data? Anyone can obtain ACCR data through the Anyone can obtain ACCR data through the CDC, National Cancer Institute, or the imperative. Like many public health programs, the ACCR faces challenges. Staff turnover at hospitals and clinics has affected reporting, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Some providers aren’t aware that they’re required to report cancer cases. Ru- ral providers and specialty clinics, such as dermatologists, dentists, and ophthalmolo- gists, can be especially difficult to reach. ACCR provides educational materials, we- binars, and one-on-one training to address this. It also partners with organizations like Registry Partners Inc. to improve the quality of data submissions. Still, with a small staff, the registry depends heavily on cooperation from providers statewide. Looking to the future, ACCR aims to be- come a full participant in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) pro- gram through the National Cancer Institute when the opportunity becomes available in 2027. It is currently a SEER Research Support Registry, and the switch would expand ACCR research capabilities and improve cancer data nationwide. ACCR is also working on a user-friendly public dash- board to make cancer data more accessible to Arkansans. A shared responsibility Cancer touches nearly every family in our state. As healthcare professionals, research- ers, and public servants, we are responsible for improving howwe detect, treat, and pre- vent this disease. TheACCR is a critical tool in that effort. With strong partnerships and continued investment in data quality and accessibility, we can ensure the registry con- tinues to serve its vital role in improving health outcomes for all Arkansans. For more information about the ACCR, visit www.healthy.arkansas.gov. n ACCR’s query system. Summarized reports and presentations are listed on the ACCR webpage at www.healthy.arkansas.gov. The ACCR’s cancer surveillance manager can also fulfill requests for data that are not readily available or are unique to a request, such as childhood cancer data, rare hema- topoietic cancers, and brain cancers. The registry is also a resource for health- care providers. It helps themmonitor their own patients’ outcomes, contributes data to support clinical trials, and allows com- parisons across regions. Providers can re- quest customized datasets for research or quality improvement. For example, Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute uses registry data to track treatment outcomes and improve cancer patient care. ACCR-collected data is used by: • Researchers to study cancer causes, treatment effectiveness, and patient outcomes. • Clinicians to benchmark their facility’s cancer cases against state averages. • Coalitions and public health officials to develop the Arkansas Cancer Plan and other statewide efforts. • Policymakers to inform legislation and funding decisions. These users rely on the registry to understand the cancer burden and take evidence-based action. Facing challenges and looking ahead The registry cannot function without pro- vider participation. Timely and accurate re- porting is critical. All facilities are encour- aged to respond toACCR’s annual outreach requests, keep contact information current, and participate in education and training when needed. Accurate reporting isn’t just a regulatory requirement — it’s a public health