MCR MINI-UPDATE
FEBRUARY 2012
Fellow Registrars,
Lots happening at MCR in the coming month, here’s the latest news. As always, please share
this information with others who may need it.
MCR News
Live Meeting
On Wednesday February 8, at 10 am, I will present “By Request: Ambiguous Terminology and Lymph
Node Coding”. This session will review the rules for casefinding, staging (CS/AJCC) and treatment codes
as they pertain to lymph nodes. To register and have a link sent to you, contact Fred Raithel at
RaithelF@missouri.edu or 1-800-392-2829.
Basic Cancer Registry Workshop and Abstracting Fundamentals Class to be Offered
The following course are offered twice per year for the education of new registrars and RHIT students.
Each course has a different focus. To register for either class and receive specific information, please
call us at 1-800-392-2829 or email Fred at RaithelF@missouri.edu.
Abstracting Fundamentals will be held April 23-24, 2012 at the MCR office in Columbia. This is
a hands-on class for those new to abstracting. Each MCR required data item is discussed using
the MCR Abstracting Manual and laptops are available to abstract practice cases using Abstract
Plus software. The class is generally small and there is ample time for questions and one-on-one
help.
Basic Cancer Registry Workshop will be held in the Kansas City, MO area on March 5-6, 2012.
This class provides an overview of cancer registry operations in a series of PowerPoint
presentations covering such topics as casefinding, follow-up, statistics, CoC standards, cancer
coding, staging and treatment. It is a good way for students to find out if a cancer registry
career appeals to them. It is also a good way for those new to the profession to get an overview
of the many facets of registry work. It is a MoSTRA-sponsored event with MCR participation. A
fall session is generally held in the St. Louis area.
Request for Assistance
We are hearing about oncologists from large hospitals traveling to small Missouri hospitals to provide
services such as on-site chemotherapy. We believe this practice is becoming more widespread
throughout the state. We wonder if it may be contributing to missed cases at the smaller hospitals. If
you happen to have information relating to your physicians and their connections with small hospitals,
might you e-mail their names and names of the hospitals to Nancy Cole, colen@health.missouri.edu?
This will allow us to assist staff at the smaller hospitals because historically they have not expected to
find these services when doing case finding.
Standard Setter News
SEER Casefinding List
We have assurance that this is undergoing final tweaking at SEER and will be posted soon to their
website. MCR will then adapt it for Missouri reporters and publish our list to be used with 2012
diagnosed cases.
Resources
NCCN has updated the thyroid, pancreas and bladder treatment guidelines. They have published
Guidelines for Patients for Prostate Cancer. Also available from them are free pocket guidelines on
cancer topics including one on Melanoma. http://www.nccn.org/about/news/ebulletin/2012-0109/pocket_guidelines.asp
Addition of RT to Hormone Treatment for Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer
http://www.oncologystat.com/journals/journal_scans/Combined_Androgen_Deprivation_Therapy_and_R
adiation_Therapy_for_Locally_Advanced_Prostate_Cancer_A_Randomised_Phase_3_Trial.html
Prostate Cancer Survival Unhurt by Intermittent Androgen Suppression
http://www.oncologystat.com/news/Prostate_Cancer_Survival_Unhurt_by_Intermittent_Androgen_Suppr
ession.html
New Genetic Markers May Tailor Leukemia Treatment
http://www.oncologystat.com/news/New_Genetic_Markers_May_Tailor_Leukemia_Treatment_US.html
Nasopharyngeal Cancer: A Promising Future
http://www.oncologystat.com/viewpoints/the-lancet-oncologycomment/Nasopharyngeal_Cancer_A_Promising_Future.html
Mucinous Adenocarcinomas: Poor Prognosis in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
http://www.oncologystat.com/journals/journal_scans/Mucinous_Adenocarcinomas_Poor_Prognosis_in_
Metastatic_Colorectal_Cancer.html
Nancy H. Rold, CTR
QA Unit Supervisor
Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center