Illinois State Cancer Registry Receives Highest Award for Excellence in Cancer Data Collection

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. announced today the Illinois State Cancer Registry has received gold certification this year from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.  This marks the 17th consecutive year Illinois has received this honor.  Only those registries meeting the highest standards are awarded gold certification.

“Illinois State Cancer Registry data allow us to understand the cancer burden and trends in our state and to target our prevention and treatment efforts,” said Director Shah.  “I would like to thank and congratulate the cancer registrars from hospitals throughout the state as well as the Illinois State Cancer Registry staff for their contributions toward achieving gold certification.”

The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries annually reviews all state cancer registries in North America for their performance in collecting complete, accurate, and timely cancer data.  No other state with as high a case load has achieved the gold standard registry designation for as many consecutive years.

In addition to the gold certification, the Illinois State Cancer Registry has recently been recognized as a Registry of Excellence by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries.  The recognition is also based on the registry’s performance in collecting complete, timely, and high-quality data.
 
The Illinois State Cancer Registry, maintained by IDPH, is the only source for population-based cancer incidence for the state.  The information collected by the registry is important for cancer surveillance and research efforts both statewide and nationally.  The registry provides information about population-based cancer incidence, cancer by site numbers, morbidity and mortality data, and statistics broken down into cancer type, sex, race, age, and geographical area.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of four deaths in the United States is attributable to cancer.  Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Illinois and the United States, and the leading cause of death for Illinois citizens aged 45-64.  Cancer affects all racial and ethnic groups and kills more Illinoisans annually than AIDS, injuries, and homicides combined.  It is projected more than 67,350 people in Illinois will be diagnosed with cancer this year and more than 25,630 people with cancer will die from the disease.

To access information from the Illinois State Cancer Registry log onto http://www.idph.state.il.us/cancer/index.htm.