A tumor registrar is a position in the health industry responsible for creating a database with information about cancer patients. By working with large amounts of data on the disease, they can help monitor different kinds of cancer. Their research helps to set current health policies and evaluate how the disease will be treated in the future. Individuals can get certified as tumor registrars by taking a basic course or pursuing long-term education.
The position of tumor registrar can focus on at least three different areas of research and data entry. A tumor registrar can work as part of a hospital or cancer treatment facility, collecting data on all the patients' types of cancer, treatments, and survival rates throughout their lives. Another kind of registrar works with a larger field of data, evaluating statewide or countrywide information on cancer types, treatments, and survival rates. A third type of registrar focuses strictly on a single type of cancer on a local or national level.
No matter what level of information they're working with, tumor registrars can play an important part in the battle against this disease. In addition to entering data on the disease, tumor registrars also fashion reports and treatment plans based on the information they gather. They keep track of patients from their first treatment up until their remission or death. A tumor registrar must also take into a account race, a patient's birthplace, and other socioeconomic factors that might affect the disease.
There is more than one way to become a tumor registrar, though it always involves some kind of formalized education. Depending on the level at which they want to work, a student who wants to become a registrar will need to have an associate's degree in medical information technology. This will involve taking classes in anatomy, physiology, bio statistics, and data registry management. An interested person can take classes at a school, or use classes available on the Internet. In both cases, they will have to take a formal test for full certification.
With so many different areas to focus on, a student wishing to become a tumor registrar may need to do research. Both local and national databases for cancer research often give out brochures that can help a student narrow down the kind of training he will need for the level of job he is interested in. These sources can also provide sample tests and self-teaching courses. They can also supply information on current job availability and salary rates.
