What state or federal agencies are responsible for evaluating records from the PADOH cancer registry? Are all types of cancers considered in this evaluation [including rare and/or environmentally associated cancers]?
A few important items to note regarding the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry:
- PADOH’s Pennsylvania Cancer Registry is a statewide data system responsible for collecting information on all new cases of cancer diagnosed or treated in Pennsylvania. It is part of the National Program of Cancer Registries administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- PADOH considered all cancer types in the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry for this evaluation.
- Pennsylvania Cancer Registry data is not available from the 1960s. The first complete year of cancer registry data is for 1985.
- The Pennsylvania Cancer Registry data contains both the patient’s address at the time of diagnosis and a patient’s current address (not just zip code).
- The Pennsylvania Department of Health uses the address at diagnosis when conducting cancer cluster analyses.
- The Pennsylvania Cancer Registry data analysis does not factor in any migrations during the time period evaluated. It does not track people’s past residential history.
- The Pennsylvania Cancer Registry does not track other potential cancer risk factors such as occupational history, environmental exposures, and lifestyle choices such as smoking.
- The Pennsylvania Cancer Registry does collect information on patient demographics and medical information about the type of cancer, how far the cancer spread at the time of diagnosis, and the first course of treatment provided.