This week we celebrate the contributions cancer registrars make to the fight against cancer. Both the CTR credential and the Cancer Registry Association of Arizona turn 30 years old this year and few understand the vital role that registrars play in cancer control. As you celebrate make it a goal to educate at least one more person about the existence and the value of the registry and the work. As I once heard Dr. Dana Weeks say, “Someone has this information and it’s usually a woman and she’s usually in the basement”.
Over the past 30 years survival has increased over a wide range of malignancies due to the efforts of researchers and clinicians and patients participating in clinical trials. We know of these successes because of cancer registrars. We work each day to translate the individual experience of cancer patients into data that can be aggregated and analyzed to serve in the search for better treatments and better outcomes. We sort through manuals, attend webinars, read articles and confer with colleagues, all in an attempt to keep up with the increasingly complex process of diagnosis, treatment and research. A career in the cancer registry isn’t usually flashy or even well recognized but it is challenging, satisfying and important. Thank you for all you do.