Additional resources

These links include downloadable manuals, databases, and other references.

1. SEER Coding and Staging Manual (2010) The 2010 manual is to be used for cases diagnosed January 1, 2010 and forward.
2. Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards (FORDS) The FORDS manual is required for use by Commission on Cancer (CoC) approved hospital cancer registries.
3. Collaborative Stage Data Collection System (CS) The Collaborative Stage Data Collection System is a carefully selected, medically relevant set of data items that describe how far a cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis. CS a hybrid or combined system that collects information used by the computer algorithm to derive AJCC TNM, Summary Stage 1977 and Summary Stage 2000.
4. Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules The 2007 Multiple Primary and Histology coding Rules promote consistent and standardized coding by cancer registrars.
5. Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Case Reportability and Coding Manual and the Hematopoietic Database The Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Case Reportability and Coding Manual is required for abstracting and coding all Hematopoietic neoplasms diagnosed January 1, 2010 and forward.
6. ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 Casefinding lists A casefinding reference consisting of the diagnostic codes used by hospitals that correspond to reportable diseases for cancer registries.
7. Historical Staging and Coding Manuals Historical manuals are maintained to document how codes and instructions have changed over time.
8. SEER*Rx-Interactive Drug Database A one-step look-up for oncology drug and regimen treatment categories in cancer registries. The program is free and can be downloaded from the website.
9. ICD-O-3 Training module Introduction to ICD-O-3, initially published in 2001.
10. Summary Stage 2000 module Introduction to Summary Stage 2000, initially published in 2001.
11. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program The SEER program of the National Cancer Institute works to provide information on cancer statistics in an effort to reduce the burden of cancer among the US population by collecting data on cancer cases from various locations and sources throughout the US.
12. NCI Physician Data Query (PDQ) The PDQ is NCI’s comprehensive cancer database. It contains summaries on a wide range of cancer topics, including clinical trials from around the world, a directory of professionals who provide genetic services, a dictionary of cancer terms, and the NCI drug dictionary.

These links include websites of cancer- and registry-related organizations as well as forums for coding and staging questions.

1. Ask a SEER Registrar Members of the cancer registrar community may use this page to submit questions to SEER about coding cancer cases or about the materials for registrars distributed through the SEER site.
2. SEER Inquiry System (SINQ) SINQ is a collection of coding and abstracting questions posed by cancer registrars answered by the experts at NCI SEER.
3. CAnswer Forum The CAnswer Forum is a web-based and robust virtual bulletin board accessible to all cancer care professionals. There are specific forums for discussion on all relevant topics such as American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM Staging, CoC Cancer Program Standards, Collaborative Stage (CS), Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards (FORDS) and National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) Quality Tools.
4. Information on becoming a cancer registry professional Answers to frequently asked questions about how to become a cancer registrar.
5. American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer (CoC) The CoC establishes standards to ensure quality, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive cancer care delivery in health care settings by collecting standardized data from CoC accredited health care settings.
6. National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) a. NCRA is a not-for-profit association representing cancer registry professionals and Oncology Data Specialists (ODS). NCRA’s primary focus is education and certification with the goal to ensure all cancer registry professionals have the required knowledge to be superior in their field.
7. National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) Data collected by local cancer registries enable public health professionals to understand and address the cancer burden more effectively. CDC provides support for states and territories to maintain registries that provide high-quality data.
8. North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) NAACCR is a professional organization that develops and promotes uniform data standards for cancer registration; provides education and training; certifies population-based registries; aggregates and publishes data from central cancer registries; and promotes the use of cancer surveillance data and systems for cancer control and epidemiologic research, public health programs, and patient care to reduce the burden of cancer in North America.
9. American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) The AJCC formulates and publishes systems of classifications of cancer, including staging and end results reporting, which will be acceptable to and used by the medical profession for selecting the most effective treatment, determining prognosis, and continuing evaluation of cancer control measures.
10. National Cancer Institute (NCI) NCI is the Federal Government’s principal agency for cancer research and training. The SEER program is housed within the Surveillance Research Program (SRP), part of NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.
11. NCI Surveillance Research Program (SRP) The Surveillance Research Program (SRP) directs the collection and analysis of pertinent data in order to answer key questions about cancer incidence, morbidity, mortality, and cancer-related health status in diverse regions and populations in the United States. As part of its mission, SRP manages the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. SRP also provides leadership in the interpretation of cancer statistics and in developing statistical methodologies appropriate for analyzing trends and evaluating the impact of cancer control interventions as well as geographic, social, behavioral, genetic, and health care delivery factors on the cancer burden.
12. NCI Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) aims to reduce the risk, incidence, and deaths from cancer as well as enhance the quality of life for cancer survivors. The Division conducts and supports an integrated program of the highest quality genetic, epidemiologic, behavioral, social, and surveillance cancer research.
13. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) NCCN is a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers that is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer.
14. CancerQuest CancerQuest is a cancer education and outreach program at Emory University (Atlanta, Ga.) They provide reliable information about cancer biology and treatment.
15. International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) This is a professional society dedicated to fostering the aims and activities of cancer registries worldwide. It is primarily for population-based registries, which collect information on the occurrence and outcome of cancer in defined population groups.
16. World Health Organization (WHO) WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations systems. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
17. The American Cancer Society (ACS) The ACS is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.
18. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) AHIMA is the premier association of health information management (HIM) professionals and is dedicated to the effective management of personal health information required to deliver quality healthcare to the public.
19. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security rules The purpose of this act is to protect the privacy of individual identifiable health information. The HIPAA Security rule, which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information; and the confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety rule, which protect identifiable information being used to analyze patient safety events and improve patient safety.