Data from a patient's cancer journey can provide valuable insights that can help cancer specialists determine the most effective treatments for newly diagnosed patients. Cancer registrars play an important role in capturing data that impacts cancer research and treatment programs. 
Because cancer is among the leading causes of death in the U.S., health systems have been mandated to collect data on cancer cases from diagnosis through survivorship to help identify trends and ultimately improve care for patients fighting cancer. Protecting patient data is vital and all cancer registrars follow the strict guidelines set by HIPPA law.
Over the last three years, Sarah Cannon has compiled data on nearly 2 million tumors and 1.8 million patients into one cancer registry. By reaching this milestone, Sarah Cannon can take a comprehensive look at the cancer journeys of patients across the HCA network and identify new ways to advance care.
"With more than 150 sites in the database, we now have the opportunity to analyze robust data, providing further insight into our survival and quality metrics in cancer care," said Cheryl Sheridan, CTR, RHIT, Director, Cancer Registry at Sarah Cannon.
Currently, there are approximately 250 Certified Tumor Registrars (CTR) in the cancer registry. Quality measures are monitored by the registry software, and the data is submitted nationally as a part of the Commission on Cancer (COC) accreditation process. COC accreditation means that a cancer program provides patients with access to high quality resources and expertise across the entire continuum of cancer care.
Through the comprehensive database, physicians have access to insights from across the network to help inform care plans and select the most effective treatments for their patients. For breast cancer alone, physicians have access to approximately 12,000 breast cases from just 2014 and related treatment information. Through the registry, referring physicians can also access information and resources to help them choose an appropriate facility for their patients who need cancer treatment.