Cancer Registry Data Collection Flashcards

Which source document is considered the MOST authoritative for determining the primary site of a tumor?

Answer: Pathology report

The pathology report is the gold standard for determining primary site because it reflects direct tissue examination.

When a patient is diagnosed with two separate primary cancers simultaneously, how should a tumor registrar abstract the case?

Answer: Abstract both as separate accession records

Each separate primary cancer requires its own accession record per SEER multiple primary rules.

What does the term 'casefinding' refer to in cancer registry operations?

Answer: The process of identifying and capturing all reportable cancer cases

Casefinding is the systematic process by which registrars identify all reportable cancers from multiple hospital sources.

A patient is treated at two different facilities for the same cancer. Which facility is responsible for reporting the case to the state registry?

Answer: Both facilities must submit separate reports

Under most state laws, all treating facilities must report the case independently to the central registry.

Which of the following is NOT typically considered a reportable neoplasm in a hospital cancer registry?

Answer: Lipoma of the back

Lipomas are benign soft tissue tumors that are generally not reportable to cancer registries.

What is the primary purpose of using ICD-O-3 morphology codes in cancer registry data collection?

Answer: To classify the histologic type and behavior of the tumor

ICD-O-3 morphology codes specify both the cell type (histology) and the behavior (benign, malignant, in situ) of neoplasms.

Under AJCC staging, what does the 'c' prefix before TNM elements (e.g., cT2) indicate?

Answer: Clinical classification based on pre-treatment evaluation

The 'c' prefix designates clinical stage determined from physical exam, imaging, and other non-surgical findings before treatment.