CTR Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CTR facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. In survival analysis, what is a 'censored observation'? → A patient whose outcome is unknown or who left the study before the event occurred
2. A patient is recorded as 'vital status unknown' during follow-up. How should this be handled in survival analysis? → Censor at last known contact date
3. In cancer registry operations, a 'death clearance' procedure is used to: → Identify unreported cancer cases by matching death certificates to registry files
4. Under STORE manual guidelines, which condition would cause a case to be flagged as a potential duplicate? → Same patient name, date of birth, and primary site at different facilities
5. Which organization certifies the accuracy and completeness of state cancer registry data through a data quality audit process called the 'Gold Standard'? → NAACCR
6. A registry quality control audit finds that 8% of cases are missing the Lymph-vascular Invasion data item. The BEST corrective action is to: → Implement targeted reabstracting of cases with missing data and retrain staff
7. Which NAACCR data standard defines the required data items, their permitted codes, and edit specifications for central registry submissions? → NAACCR Volume II — Data Standards and Data Dictionary
8. In cancer registry epidemiology, 'denominator data' refers to: → Population counts used to calculate incidence and mortality rates
9. When a conflict arises between standard procedures and a unique situation in Staging & Prognostic Factors, what should a CTR professional prioritize? → Safety and ethical obligations while seeking expert consultation
10. Which of the following sources is MOST commonly used for casefinding? → Pathology reports
11. Which measure expresses the probability of dying FROM cancer (rather than with it) over a specified time period? → Cause-specific survival rate
12. What is a requirement of a CoC-accredited cancer program? → Registry participation in quality studies
13. Which of the following methods is typically used for passive follow-up? → National Death Index search
14. In ICD-O-3, what does a behavior code of '/3' indicate? → Malignant, primary site
15. Which of the following scenarios requires a new primary to be abstracted under the 2023 SEER MP/H rules for colon cancers? → Different histology, same subsite, diagnosed 5 years apart
16. Which ICD-O-3 grade code is assigned when the pathology report states 'poorly differentiated'? → Grade III
17. In prostate cancer staging, what Gleason score range indicates Grade Group 5 (the highest grade)? → Gleason 9-10
18. A registry receives a death certificate for a patient with cancer diagnosed at an out-of-state facility. This case should be abstracted as a: → Death certificate only (DCO) case
19. When coding histology in ICD-O-3, what does the fifth digit (behavior code) of '/3' indicate? → Malignant, primary site
20. Cancer registries submit data to SEER using which standard file exchange format? → NAACCR flat file (fixed-width text format)
21. Stage grouping of 'Stage 0' in most AJCC cancer sites refers to which condition? → In situ carcinoma with no invasion
22. Which of the following is an example of a technical safeguard required under the HIPAA Security Rule for electronic cancer registry data? → Implementing audit controls that record access to electronic PHI
23. When abstracting a case with multiple primaries, which SEER rule determines whether two tumors in the same site are counted as one or two primaries? → The Multiple Primary and Histology (MP/H) rules
24. Which standard of practice is MOST important for ensuring quality in Follow-Up & Survival Analysis? → Following evidence-based protocols while adapting to specific circumstances
25. A CTR receives an email from an unknown sender requesting a list of patients diagnosed with leukemia for a 'national study.' What is the BEST course of action? → Forward the request to the privacy officer and do not respond directly
26. In Follow-Up & Survival Analysis, what is the FIRST step a CTR professional should take when encountering a new case or situation? → Conduct a comprehensive assessment and gather all relevant information
27. When a cancer presents with synchronous liver metastases at diagnosis, the AJCC M category is classified as: → M1
28. In the AJCC 8th edition, which site introduced anatomically based prognostic stage groups that incorporate non-anatomic factors such as grade and biomarkers? → Breast cancer
29. For pancreatic exocrine cancer, which vessel involvement upgrades the tumor to T4 in AJCC 8th edition? → Celiac axis or superior mesenteric artery involvement
30. When a patient is diagnosed with two separate primary cancers simultaneously, how should a tumor registrar abstract the case? → Abstract both as separate accession records