Cancer Reporting

Hospitals

General, Critical Access and Specialty/Surgery Hospitals must report all required inpatient and outpatient cancer cases. This includes:

§ Analytic cases

§ Non-analytic cases

Hospitals With a Cancer Registry

Hospitals with computerized registries will be required to submit reportable cases abstracted by certified tumor registrars (CTR’s) following Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards (FORDS) and NAACCR Volume II, Data Standards and Data Dictionaryfor detailed specification and coding guidelines to create the data exchange record file layout. Data must be submitted within six-month from the date of first contact. The preferred method of data submission is electronic transmission over the Internet to the NCCR Web-based application Web Plus in NAACCR file format.

Hospitals Without a Cancer Registry

Hospitals that currently do not have computerized registries will be required to submit reportable cases abstracted by a CTR or hospital staff within six-month from the date of first contact. Hospitals with CTR support must follow the same data standards as a hospital with a cancer registry. Hospitals without CTR support must perform case finding procedures to identify all reportable cancer cases and abstract each case using the “NCCR’s Cancer Reporting Form” or the NCCR’s Web Plus system.

Registrar Resources

Electronic Manuals Resource Library

Abstracting Tools

Non-Hospitals

Physicians

Physicians in private or group practice must report all required cancer cases that are not referred to a hospital for further diagnosis or treatment. This includes:

§ Patients who are clinically diagnosed and receive no further work-up or treatment

§ Patients who are newly diagnosed in the physician’s own laboratory or by sending a specimen from the office to an outside laboratory, whether hospital or independent

§ Patients whose first course of treatment is initiated in the physician’s office or clinic. This includes cancer treatment by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormones.

If the hospital reports cancer cases diagnosed in a staff physician’s office, the physician need not to report to the NCCR.

Dentists must report all required cancer cases that are not referred to a hospital for further diagnosis or treatment. This includes:

Patients who are diagnosed or treated by a dentist who performs a biopsy and/or receives a pathology report of a reportable case.

Dermatologists

Dermatologists must report all required cancer cases that are not referred to a hospital for further diagnosis or treatment. This includes:

§ Patients who are diagnosed or treated by a dermatologist who performs a biopsy and/or receives a pathology report of a reportable case.

Freestanding Radiation and Medical Oncology

Freestanding Radiation or Medical Oncology Clinics must report any patient initially diagnosed with a reportable cancer or when first course of treatment is initiated at the non-hospital based facility. This includes cancer treatment by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormones.

Surgery Centers

Surgery Centers – Freestanding surgery centers-includes plastic reconstructive, oral and maxillofacial surgery centers (independent centers not affiliated with any hospital) must report any patient undergoing a biopsy or other surgical procedure at the facility for a newly diagnosed reportable cancer. This includes cases also reported by either a hospital based or a private/independent medical laboratory.

Surgery centers affiliated with a hospital must report any patient undergoing a biopsy or other surgical procedure at the facility for a newly diagnosed reportable cancer if the patient was not referred to the hospital for further diagnosis or treatment. This includes cases also reported by either hospital-based or private/independent medical laboratories.

Other Facilities that provide screening, diagnostic, or therapeutic services

Other Facilities that provide cancer screening services, diagnostic services, or therapeutic cancer services must report confirmed cancer cases which are subject to reporting. This includes facilities that provide mammography or radiology services, palliative, prophylactic, or adjuvant therapy for reportable cases.

Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals, Hospice, and Skilled Nursing Facilities

Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals, Hospices and Skilled Nursing Facilities must report the following types of diagnosed reportable cancer cases:

§ Cases clinically diagnosed but not confirmed through biopsy, cytology, or other microscopic methods.

§ Cases for whom the first course of cancer treatment is initiated at the facility. Treatment may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormone therapy.

§ Cases admitted with active cancer for the purpose of receiving supportive care, palliative care, pain management and/or hospice services.