Information for Registrars
Information for Registrars
Resources for Registrars
Cancer is designated as a reportable disease in the state of Utah (Cancer Reporting Rule, R384-100).
Reporting Cancer Cases to the Utah Cancer Registry
Cancer registrars perform a critical function for the Utah Cancer Registry (UCR) in reporting cancer case information. We depend on the information submitted by registrars to be timely and high quality which enables us to consolidate cancer case contents and report to national standard setters.
This page will provide hospital-based cancer registrars with information about:
- Data Standards
- Reportability
- Information to Include in Abstracts
- Guidelines for Submitting Abstracts
- When Abstracts are Not Required
- Reporting 'History' of Cancer Only
- Data Edits and Metafile
- Follow-up
- UCR inquiry Form
- Helpful Links
Data Standards
The Utah Cancer Registry (UCR) participates in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR), and is a member of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). UCR must follow SEER, NPCR, UCR, and NAACCR requirements for reportable cases and data collection. Facilities, registrars, and vendors are encouraged to refer to the official data standards of SEER, NPCR, UCR, and NAACCR to ensure complete compliance.
Reportability
Detailed information about which conditions are reportable is available on the Reportable Conditions page.
ICD-10-CM casefinding lists should be used to screen prospective cases and identify cancer cases for inclusion in the registry.
Information to Include in Abstracts
UCR collects SEER and NPCR reportable data items.
- A complete list of data items required by UCR is available here (Updated 10/21/2025)
- Utah’s state-specific data items for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) were retired, and hospitals are not required to collect or transmit them for any diagnosis year. UCR no longer requires any state-specific data items
Guidelines for Submitting Abstracts
An abstract is required in the following situations:
- Patient seen for diagnosis of cancer
- Patient admitted for staging work-up
- Patient seen for cancer directed treatment (any course of treatment
Example 1: Patient admitted to reporting facility after being diagnosed elsewhere with breast cancer. Patient received cancer directed radiation treatment at reporting facility. Report to UCR.
Example 2: Patient admitted to reporting facility for breast biopsy and pathology shows ductal adenocarcinoma. Patient was diagnosed at reporting facility but never returns for further workup or treatment. Report to UCR.
Example 3: Patient recently diagnosed elsewhere by reportable scan, then admitted to reporting facility for a biopsy (of primary or metastatic site) to confirm the prior diagnosis. Report to UCR.
TIMING
Reportable cases are due to UCR within six months of the date of diagnosis or date first seen for the reportable condition. Please refer to Utah State Cancer Reporting Rule.
- Initial hospital case reports containing patient identifiers and key diagnostic variables should be submitted within six months of diagnosis
- Complete hospital case reports should be submitted no later than one year after the end of diagnosing year
When Abstracts are Not Required
An abstract is not required in the following situations:
- patients seen only in consultation to provide a second opinion or to confirm treatment plan
- patients with a ‘history’ of cancer only, not initially diagnosed at reporting facility and are not receiving cancer directed treatment at reporting facility
- patients admitted with active disease, not initially diagnosed, no part of initial workup at reporting facility, and are not receiving cancer directed treatment at the reporting facility
Example 1: Patient admitted to reporting facility for gallstone removal, chart mentions history of prostate cancer. Do not report to UCR as abstract.
Example 2: Patient admitted to reporting facility for a consult of a recently diagnosed breast cancer, no diagnostic/staging workup or treatment at reporting facility. Do not report to UCR as abstract.
Reporting 'History' of Cancer Only
For patients who are admitted with ONLY a ‘history’ of cancer, do not submit abstracts for these patients. Please submit a listing of these patients to UCR.
- This includes patients with a past history of cancer and patients with active disease who were not diagnosed, initially staged, or treated at the reporting facility.
- If the cancer was previously abstracted and reported from your facility, it is not necessary to include the patient/cancer on the list.
Please refer to the linked template for specific data items to include in the ‘history of’ list.
Data Edits and Metafile
- To ensure completeness and accuracy of the required data items, UCR applies the latest version of data edits applicable to SEER and NPCR required variables on cases submitted to UCR. Utah no longer uses a state-specific custom metafile. Reporting facility abstracts are now required to pass all edits in the “SEER: Hospital Edits” edit set of the standard V26 NAACCR metafile.
- NAACCR references
Follow-up
Hospital facilities shall submit annual follow-up to UCR within 13 months of the date the patient was last contacted by facility personnel. Please refer to Utah State Cancer Reporting Rule.
UCR Inquiry Form for Utah Hospital Registrars
UCR has implemented a web based communication tool for requests from hospital-based registrars.
Please use this form to submit registry related questions to UCR which will be answered by UCR Oncology Data Specialists (ODS). A selection of helpful tips from our Q-Tips newsletter have been aggregated on our Monthly Quality Tips page.
Helpful Links
- National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA)
- National Cancer Institute SEER Program (SEER)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)
- Utah Cancer Registry Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC)
- North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR)
- NAACCR Data Dictionary
- SEER Program Coding & Staging Manuals
- 2022 Solid Tumor Rules
- Extent of Disease (EOD) 2018
- NAACCR Site-Specific Data Items (SSDI)
- Summary Stage 2018
- SEER Registrar Staging Assistant (SEER*RSA)
- ICD-0-3 Guidelines
- SEER COVID-19 Abstraction Guidance
Contact Us
Utah Cancer Registry
250 East 200 South, Suite 1375
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: 801-581-8407
Fax: 801-581-4560
Email: ucr.info@hsc.utah.edu