National Cancer Registrars Association

The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) is a United States nonprofit professional association representing cancer registry professionals and individuals who hold or seek the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) credential. The organization was established in 1974 under the name National Tumor Registrars Association and later adopted its current name as the profession and its responsibilities expanded beyond the historical focus on tumor registries. NCRA’s central role is to strengthen the quality, consistency, and professional recognition of cancer registry work. Cancer registrars are health information specialists who collect, interpret, abstract, maintain, and report detailed information about cancer patients, including diagnosis, disease characteristics, treatment, and follow-up status. Their work creates structured data used by hospitals, cancer programs, researchers, clinicians, epidemiologists, and public health agencies. Reliable registry data support cancer surveillance, treatment evaluation, research, prevention planning, screening policy, and the assessment of outcomes across populations. Education and certification are the association’s principal activities. NCRA provides professional learning through annual conferences, workshops, publications, online resources, and continuing-education opportunities. It also supports the education pipeline for people entering cancer registry management and cancer information management. NCRA accredits eligible educational programs offering associate-degree or certificate-level preparation in these fields, helping students develop the technical knowledge needed for registry operations and for the CTR examination. The Certified Tumor Registrar examination is administered through NCRA’s Council on Certification. The first CTR examination was offered in 1983, and NCRA assumed responsibility for administering it in 2003 after the examination had previously been overseen by the National Board for Certification of Registrars. The Council on Certification promotes standardized collection and use of cancer data by evaluating the knowledge and competence of cancer registrars and related cancer-data specialists. The credential functions as a professional benchmark for work in cancer registry operations and cancer information management. NCRA also undertakes professional advocacy. A prominent effort was its proposal, submitted to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on July 21, 2014, seeking a distinct Standard Occupational Classification code for medical registrars. At the time, medical registrars were grouped under the broader category of Medical Records and Health Information Technicians. NCRA argued that registry professionals perform specialized and more advanced duties than that classification conveyed, and that a distinct occupational code would improve labor statistics, workforce planning, and public understanding of the profession. The Standard Occupational Classification system is revised on a periodic cycle, making such a change a multiyear policy process. NCRA is also identified as a partner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries. Its membership and certification community extends beyond the United States, with reference materials describing more than 5,800 members worldwide and nearly 4,500 CTRs. NCRA’s institutional identity is therefore centered less on consumer-facing products than on professional standards, credentialing, education, and advocacy for the cancer surveillance workforce.

The National Cancer Registrars Association began in 1974 as the National Tumor Registrars Association. Its formation reflected the growing need for a professional body devoted to the people responsible for maintaining cancer registry records and ensuring that cancer information could be collected in a consistent and useful manner. As cancer surveillance expanded across hospitals, state programs, national systems, and research institutions, the work of registrars became increasingly important to clinical quality measurement, epidemiology, public health planning, and cancer research. The organization’s professional remit developed around education, competency standards, certification, and communication among cancer registry personnel. Cancer registrars are responsible for assembling a complete and standardized account of a patient’s cancer experience. This may include reviewing medical records, identifying the primary site and disease characteristics, recording treatment and follow-up information, and submitting data according to applicable registry rules. The resulting datasets help healthcare organizations evaluate cancer services and help researchers and public health authorities understand incidence, treatment patterns, outcomes, and disparities. A major milestone in the profession was the introduction of the Certified Tumor Registrar examination in 1983. The examination provided a standardized way to assess professional knowledge and competence. NCRA’s Council on Certification promotes uniformity in cancer-data collection and use through examination and certification of cancer registrars and related specialists. In 2003, NCRA took over administration of the CTR examination from the National Board for Certification of Registrars, further consolidating the association’s role in professional credentialing. NCRA also became involved in formalizing educational pathways into the field. It accredits programs offering associate degrees and certificates in Cancer Registry Management or Cancer Information Management. These programs are designed to build practical skills in abstracting health information, managing registry operations, producing cancer-related information for care and research, and supporting cancer prevention activities. The association’s educational model combines entry-level preparation with ongoing professional development through conferences, workshops, publications, and continuing-education credits. The association’s advocacy has addressed the visibility and classification of the occupation itself. On July 21, 2014, NCRA submitted a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget requesting a new Standard Occupational Classification code for Medical Registrars. Medical registrars were then classified under the broader category of Medical Records and Health Information Technicians. NCRA maintained that the existing category did not adequately describe the specialized tasks, knowledge, and responsibilities of cancer registry professionals. A distinct classification, in the association’s view, could improve employment statistics, workforce analysis, recruitment, and differentiation from medical coders and other health-information occupations. Because the occupational classification system follows a periodic revision process, the proposal was part of a longer policy and consultation cycle rather than an immediate administrative change. NCRA’s work is connected to the wider public-health infrastructure through its partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries. This relationship reflects the association’s role in supporting the workforce that produces cancer surveillance information. By providing education, certification, professional standards, and advocacy, NCRA positions itself as an infrastructure organization for cancer-data quality rather than as a clinical treatment provider or a consumer healthcare brand. Reference material describes NCRA as having more than 5,800 members worldwide and nearly 4,500 CTRs. Its continuing activities include professional education, certification administration, program accreditation, publications, networking, and efforts to improve recognition of cancer registry work. The association remains active, although detailed information about its headquarters, officers, finances, and subsequent occupational-classification outcomes is not established in the supplied reference material.

• 2014

  Occupational classification proposal submitted

  [1]National Cancer Registrars Associationen.wikipedia.org

  NCRA submitted a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget for a distinct Standard Occupational Classification code for Medical Registrars.

• 2003

  NCRA assumes administration of the CTR examination

  [1]National Cancer Registrars Associationen.wikipedia.org

  NCRA took over administration of the Certified Tumor Registrar examination from the National Board for Certification of Registrars.

• 1983

  First Certified Tumor Registrar examination offered

  [1]National Cancer Registrars Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The first CTR examination was offered, creating a standardized professional assessment for cancer registrars.

• 1974

  Organization established as the National Tumor Registrars Association

  [1]National Cancer Registrars Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The professional association was founded under the name National Tumor Registrars Association to represent and support cancer registry professionals.

A professional standards, education, and certification organization for cancer registry and cancer data specialists, with an emphasis on reliable cancer surveillance data and recognition of the specialized registry workforce.

• Professional certification · 1983

  Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) certification

  NCRA’s Council on Certification administers the CTR examination and supports a standardized credential for cancer registrars and related cancer-data professionals. The certification assesses professional knowledge relevant to cancer registry operations and standardized cancer-data collection. The examination was first offered in 1983, and NCRA has administered it since 2003.

• Professional education

  Cancer Registry Management and Cancer Information Management education

  NCRA accredits qualifying associate-degree and certificate programs in Cancer Registry Management and Cancer Information Management. These programs prepare students to abstract clinical information accurately, manage registry operations, produce data for healthcare and research, and support cancer prevention and surveillance work.

• Continuing professional development

  Continuing education program

  The association provides continuing education through annual conferences, workshops, publications, and other learning formats. These activities help registry professionals maintain technical knowledge, meet continuing-education needs, and keep pace with changes in cancer classification, data standards, registry practice, and public-health reporting.

• 2014Medical Registrars occupational classification advocacy

  United States

  NCRA advocated for a separate Standard Occupational Classification code for Medical Registrars, arguing that the existing health-information classification did not adequately reflect the specialized work performed by cancer registrars.

  Outcome. The supplied material records the submission of the proposal and explains that the classification revision process is multiyear. It does not establish the final outcome.

  Source

• 2014

  Proposal for a distinct Medical Registrars classificationStrategy

  Background

  Medical registrars were classified under Medical Records and Health Information Technicians, a category NCRA considered too broad for the specialized duties of cancer registrars.

  Action taken

  NCRA submitted a new-occupation proposal to the Office of Management and Budget on July 21, 2014.

  Aftermath

  The proposal entered the Standard Occupational Classification revision process. The supplied material does not document whether a separate code was ultimately adopted.

  Source

• 2003

  Assumption of CTR examination administrationOther

  Background

  The Certified Tumor Registrar examination had previously been administered by the National Board for Certification of Registrars.

  Action taken

  NCRA assumed responsibility for administering the examination through its Council on Certification.

  Aftermath

  The change strengthened NCRA’s role in professional certification and standardization for cancer registry personnel.

  Source

1. 1National Cancer Registrars Associationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2National Cancer Registrars Association official websitencra-usa.org