NCRA Conference Preview

NCRA Working in Harmony to Deliver Excellence

By Donna Weber, MS, CTR

The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) is holding its 40th Annual Education Conference from May 15 to 18 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference, featuring the theme “Working in Harmony to Deliver Excellence,” will provide an opportunity to celebrate cancer registrars, registry professionals, and the NCRA’s many achievements as the association marks this anniversary.

In his keynote address, Otis W. Brawley, MD, FACP, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, will discuss the current state of cancer research and the important role of the cancer registrar and cancer data, the direction of the American Cancer Society and priorities for the future, and the relationship between the Affordable Care Act, patient-centered care, and cancer registry data.

The conference will include cutting-edge plenary sessions, informative breakout sessions, and an exhibit hall showcasing the newest cancer registry products and services. With more than 40 sessions, cancer registrars will have the opportunity to earn 17.25 continuing education credits.

Sessions fall into four topic areas: Commission on Cancer standards and application, cancer registry management, professional development and data use, and central cancer registry. The tracks provide attendees with a wide range of choices to meet individual educational needs.

Whether looking for in-depth technical information or to gain greater leadership and career-advancement knowledge, the conference offers a variety of sessions. A sample of concurrent sessions include “Fifty Years of Cancer Registry Outcomes Data — Implications for Patient Care,” “Molecular Reporting: Biomarkers and AJCC Reporting,” “Fundamentals of Cancer Care: The Role of Molecular Biology,” and “The Evolution of Radiation Therapy.” Several sessions will focus on the transition from Collaborative Stage to TNM Coding and Summary Stage that’s set to take place in January 2016. The results and next steps based on the results of the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s and the NCRA’s recent education needs assessment also will be presented.

Several preconference workshops and one concurrent educational program have been designed to meet specific training needs and include “Central Cancer Registry: Design, Management and Use Workshop,” “Registry Data Analysis and Presentation Workshop,” “One-Day Intensive CTR Exam Training,” and “Fundamentals of Abstracting Workshop.”

The NCRA will present the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries poster exhibit, which showcases how central cancer registry data are used to impact public health. Other highlights include the introduction of a mobile app and online conference proceedings. These two new options will allow members to personalize their conference schedule, easily manage conference materials, and keep connected onsite.

For more information, visit www.ncra-usa.org.

— Donna Weber, MS, CTR, is the NCRA 2014 program committee chair.