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 cancer registry epidemiology, 'denominator data' refers to: → Population counts used to calculate incidence and mortality rates
2. 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
3. Which of the following sources is MOST commonly used for casefinding? → Pathology reports
4. Which measure expresses the probability of dying FROM cancer (rather than with it) over a specified time period? → Cause-specific survival rate
5. What is a requirement of a CoC-accredited cancer program? → Registry participation in quality studies
6. Which of the following methods is typically used for passive follow-up? → National Death Index search
7. In ICD-O-3, what does a behavior code of '/3' indicate? → Malignant, primary site
8. Cancer registries submit data to SEER using which standard file exchange format? → NAACCR flat file (fixed-width text format)
9. Which standard of practice is MOST important for ensuring quality in Follow-Up & Survival Analysis? → Following evidence-based protocols while adapting to specific circumstances
10. 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
11. Which STORE field records whether chemotherapy was given as part of the first course of treatment? → RX Summ–Chemo
12. What is the PRIMARY purpose of continuing education requirements in Cancer Registry Data Collection for CTR professionals? → Maintaining current knowledge and competency as the field evolves
13. What does the term 'completeness' mean in the context of a central cancer registry's data quality? → The proportion of all cancer cases in the catchment area that are captured by the registry
14. When a conflict arises between standard procedures and a unique situation in Registry Operations & Management, what should a CTR professional prioritize? → Safety and ethical obligations while seeking expert consultation
15. The concept of 'lead time bias' in cancer screening studies refers to: → The apparent increase in survival time due to earlier detection, without actual benefit
16. In cancer epidemiology, what does a 'cohort study' examine? → A group followed over time to observe who develops cancer
17. A mastectomy is performed, and a sentinel lymph node biopsy removes 2 nodes with 1 positive. What value goes in Regional Nodes Positive? → 1
18. What is the PRIMARY purpose of continuing education requirements in Confidentiality & Data Security for CTR professionals? → Maintaining current knowledge and competency as the field evolves
19. In Coding & Classification Systems, 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
20. A patient receives neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. How should sequence of systemic therapy and surgery be coded? → Systemic before surgery
21. What is the PRIMARY purpose of continuing education requirements in Coding & Classification Systems for CTR professionals? → Maintaining current knowledge and competency as the field evolves
22. What is the purpose of the 'Palliative Care' field in the treatment summary? → To indicate treatment aimed at symptom relief rather than cure
23. Which coding system is used to classify tumor histology during abstracting? → ICD-O-3
24. Which field records the number of regional lymph nodes that were examined pathologically? → Regional Nodes Examined
25. When a patient refuses all recommended treatment, which RX Summ–Surgery of Primary Site code is most appropriate? → Code 00 – None (surgery not recommended or refused)
26. What does age-adjusted (age-standardized) cancer rate allow researchers to do? → Compare rates across populations with different age distributions
27. What role do re-abstracting audits play in quality assurance? → They verify data accuracy and consistency
28. Which standard of practice is MOST important for ensuring quality in Cancer Registry Data Collection? → Following evidence-based protocols while adapting to specific circumstances
29. What is the PRIMARY purpose of continuing education requirements in Data Quality & Completeness for CTR professionals? → Maintaining current knowledge and competency as the field evolves
30. The term 'anaplastic' when describing a tumor indicates: → Tumor cells lack differentiation and typically behave aggressively