Cancer Registry
The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons approves organized cancer programs that stress the importance of multi-disciplinary cancer conferences and accurate reporting of diagnostic and treatment data in a cancer registry for meaningful long-term patient care evaluation. Adventist Cancer Network’s Cancer Program has been approved by the American College of Surgeons since 1977 as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program. Adventist Hinsdale Hospital and Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital are two of approximately 25 hospitals in Illinois designated to this status.
About Cancer Registrars
Cancer Registrars are data management experts who report cancer statistics for various healthcare agencies. They work closely with physicians, administrators, researchers, and health care planners to provide support for cancer program development, ensure compliance of reporting standards and serve as valuable resource for cancer information with the ultimate goal of preventing and controlling cancer. The Cancer Registrar is involved in managing and analyzing clinical cancer information for the purposes of education, research and outcome measurement.
As part of an approved Cancer Program, the Cancer Registry (Cancer Data Management Department) collects information about the following:
- Cancers
- Precancerous conditions
- Certain blood disorders, and
- Benign brain-related tumors diagnosed and treated at Adventist Midwest Health.
This information furthers our understanding of cancer and is used to develop strategies and policies for prevention, treatment, and control. Information contained in the Cancer Registry includes:
- Data on the frequency of specific cancer types
- Numbers of cases in geographic areas
- Information to answer patients’ questions and concerns about cancer
The Cancer Registry has made possible publications on cancer incidence such as “Illinois Cancer Facts & Figures for the United States,” published by the American Cancer Society. The Cancer Registry also provides online cancer information at www.cancer.org.
Cancer Registrars and Public Health
The Illinois Department of Public Health maintains a state-wide population-based Cancer Registry. Under public law, the State of Illinois requires all hospitals to report specific personal health information on every cancer patient diagnosed or treated in Illinois. It is the Cancer Registry’s responsibility to uphold this mandate by submitting cancer patient data to the Illinois State Cancer Registry. All data collected by the Cancer Registry are protected by the confidentiality provisions of Adventist Midwest Health, Illinois State Cancer Registry policy and public law, and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Under the HIPAA final privacy rule, follow-up with a cancer patient is permissible under section 164.506. Cancer Registry staff members take this responsibility very seriously and enforce strict procedures to protect patient confidentiality. Public Law 107-260 requires cancer registries to include information on patients diagnosed with non-malignant brain-related tumors. This includes tumors of the brain, meninges, spinal cord, cauda equine, cranial nerves, or any other part of the central nervous system, the pituitary gland, pineal gland, or cranio-pharyngeal duct. The Illinois Department of Public Health requires that all benign brain tumors be tracked throughout patients’ lifetimes.
The Role of the Patient
Many individuals benefit from the collection and analysis of the data collected for the Cancer Registry and Cancer Program activities. Your information can help future patients by assisting the Cancer Committee, Medical Staff and external researchers evaluate the results of your treatment and quality of care. Through continual evaluation of these data, we can make certain we are providing the best possible care for all of our patients. In addition to these activities, sharing of cancer patient data with the Illinois State Cancer Registry and
Cancer, like many diseases, requires lifetime follow-up. The Cancer Registry will obtain information about you every year. Lifetime follow-up is collected in several ways: If you are admitted or seen as an outpatient at any Adventist Midwest Health hospital, your records will keep us informed about your health. If you have not been seen at the hospital, your physician(s) may be contacted by letter. This will also serve as a reminder to him or her that you are due for an annual check-up. If your physicians have not seen you in the last year or do not respond to our letter, we will contact your (or an appropriate family member) by letter or telephone.
Schedule examinations with your physician as often as you both agree is necessary. Please respond to any inquiries you or your family members may receive from us. Please let us know if you move, change your name, or change physicians.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the registry at 630-856-8062 or 708-245-8153.