Cancer Registries: Part of a Team to Prevent and Control Cancer

Cancer prevention and control takes teamwork. One part of the team includes people making healthy choices and getting recommended cancer screenings. Another part of the team includes programs that promote effective cancer prevention and control practices and provide resources to communities. When it comes to planning, monitoring, and improving cancer prevention and control efforts, cancer registries are essential to the team. Cancer registries collect information about newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer, and also gather details about cancer patients and the treatments they receive. Cancer registry data can provide information about―

Who is getting cancer?
Who is at highest risk for cancer?
What kinds of cancers are increasing or decreasing?
Where will prevention efforts have the biggest impact?

CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) coordinates the collection of cancer data to measure progress in preventing and treating cancer. Cancer registry data are used to help identify how to best use resources and find out if cancer control efforts are working. Learn more about NPCR.

New Publication on Increasing Access to Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening

Among women in the United States, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Over the past five decades, cervical cancer cases and deaths have decreased, but cervical cancer burden remains high some groups of women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program(NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women across the nation, reaching over 5 million women since 1991. However, breast and cervical cancer still affects certain populations more than others. In 2016, CDC started exploring new program activities to reach more women in need of screening for breast and cervical cancer. This led to NBCCEDP using new strategies such as partnering with clinics that serve low-income women and helping implement evidence-based interventions (EBIs) known to be effective in increasing breast and cervical cancer screening. In addition, improving the use of data to better target interventions and allocate limited resources is another important activity to expand the reach of NBCCEDP.

Providing Guidance During a Patient’s Cancer Journey

After a cancer diagnosis, navigating the health care system may be challenging, but guidance and understanding from a specialized health care worker can make a difference. Patient navigators help patients move through the health care system and work to reduce or eliminate barriers to accessing care. A new blog post discusses the essential role that patient navigators have in a patient’s cancer journey by providing individual guidance to help patients make the best decisions for their care. Patient navigators also have an important role in addressing health disparities, such as providing support to patients who may have less access to health care and other services. This support includes making sure that patients get the right information and guidance on community resources. CDC’s Dr. Elizabeth Rohan shares her first-hand knowledge of helping cancer patients and recognizes patient navigators as unsung heroes for people facing cancer.

New Resource Provides Information on Lymphedema

Lymphedema, swelling due to build-up of lymph fluid in the body, can be caused by cancer or cancer treatment. Lymph fluid is part of the lymph system which carries fluid and cells that help fight infections throughout the body. Lymphedema usually affects the arms or legs, but can occur in other parts of the body. Health problems from lymphedema can include a high risk of getting an infection in the swollen area, and slow healing of wounds or stiffness of joints in the part of the body that is affected. Lymphedema can be treated in several ways, some of which are exercise, massage therapy, a compression garment, and a pneumatic pump. Learn more about lymphedema and how to manage it.

Did You Know?

About 70% of cancers in the oropharynx (which includes the tonsils, soft palate, and base of the tongue) are linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) a common sexually transmitted virus.
In 2015, there were 44,430 new cases of oral cavity and pharynx cancer reported and 9,754 deaths from this cancer in the United States.