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CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 15, 125-127, Copyright © 1965 by American Cancer Society

The Tumor Registry—A Definition

¹ Chief Surgeon, Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.

A tumor registry is a working index of cancer cases used to study the natural history of neoplastic diseases in man. The data from a registry are used to prove that cancer is prevented, cured or palliated by various therapeutic practices. The registry, to have valid time-mortality data, and to insure that the cancer patient is re-examined at proper intervals, must have a link to the patient through a clinic system or through the offices of physicians. Many registries, for want of a purpose, become static repositories of unused data. The function of registries should be scrutinized to determine if the effort involved in maintaining the registry leads to better understanding of cancer as a disease, and to better care and treatment of cancer patients in the hospital undertaking the operation of a registry.