Cancer Registrar Jobs

About 14 million people learn that they have cancer every year. Annually, the disease kills over 8 million people worldwide. That’s over 20,000 cancer deaths a day. In the US alone, nearly half a million people will die this year because of cancer.

Nearly 40% of adults in the US will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. Cancer is an awful and often fatal disease that affects the human anatomy. Do you know anyone that has suffered from breast, prostate, lung, colon, uterus, melanoma, ovarian, thyroid, or some other type of cancer? You probably do.

Cancer Registrars Input Relevant Data About Patients

Unfortunately, there’s no magic cure for cancer. Cancer is a local, regional, state, national, and global issue. It affects everyone. Doctors, researchers, and other people and professionals devote their lives to finding a cure. One behind-the-scenes job in the battle against cancer is a cancer registrar.

Cancer registrars collect, interpret, record, and track information about cancer patients. This health information technology job can be found anywhere that cancer patients are treated. It’s a niche that is growing steadily and offers aspiring cancer registrars a stable career path.

Cancer registrars collect a complete summary of every single cancer patient. They document their type of cancer, medical history, demographics, dates, cancer therapy, surgeries, doctors, facilities, follow ups, medications, reactions, and other aspects of their diagnosis, treatments, status, and experience. This information is added to the cancer registry – an information system that collects, manages, and analyzes cancer data.

The cancer registry is accessible to doctors, researchers, public officials, and other healthcare providers. Through extensive analysis, the data collected and summarized by cancer registrars can help to detect cancer, improve treatments, research prevention, boost survivability, improve cancer management, track patient’s progress, and potentially find a cure for cancer. Essentially these data specialists are helping to save lives.

There are several routes to become a cancer registrar. Be sure to follow the guidelines established by the National Cancer Registrars Association – an organization that represents over 5,000 cancer registry professionals.

When you choose to become a cancer registrar, you’ll have to complete NCRA accredited training where you’ll learn about computers, medical terminology, coding, human anatomy, statistics, and more. You can either earn an associate degree in cancer registry management and complete a clinical practicum OR you can earn an associates degree with two semesters of anatomy and physiology and complete 1,950 hours of cancer registry work experience.

Once you complete your NCRA training, it’s recommended that you obtain a voluntary certification as a Certified Tumor Registrar. Once you are trained and certified, you can find cancer registrar jobs anywhere that cancer patients are treated. That includes hospitals, cancer registries, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, insurance agencies, and veteran’s hospitals.

Cancer is a major health concern around the globe. Job opportunities for cancer registrars are expected to grow by 22% by 2022. In this stable, secure, and full time job, you can expect to make between $30,000 and $60,000 per year or $12 to $26 per hour. That’s not a bad salary for such a rewarding job.

Cancer registrars make a valuable contribution to the fight against cancer. These behind-the-scenes heroes collect the data that makes a difference in so many people’s lives. Cancer registrar jobs are important and have the potential to save lives. Are you ready to apply for a cancer registrar job?

Quick Facts About Cancer Registrar Jobs

Job Title: Cancer registrar
Office: Anywhere cancer patients are treated
Description: Collect and analyze cancer data
Certifications/Education: NCRA accredited training program, Voluntary certifications
Necessary Skills: Medical Terminology, Computer Skills, Anatomy and Physiology
Potential Employers: Hospitals, Cancer registries, Government agencies
Pay: $30,000 to $60,000 per year

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