Florida Cancer Data System at Sylvester is Again Recognized as One of the Best in the U.S.
The Florida Cancer Data System, the State of Florida’s legislatively mandated population-based registry located at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has received three important distinctions for the quality of its cancer registry data.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
For the 16th consecutive year, the Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS) has received Gold Certification from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Gold certification is awarded to central registries that meet the highest levels of completeness, data quality and timeliness in cancer registry surveillance.
The Florida registry was also recognized as a 2017 Registry of Excellence and a 2018 U.S. Cancer Statistics Registry for Surveillance. The two awards signify that the FCDS has met or exceeded all of the standards set forth in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) Program Standards 2017-2022. The Registry of Excellence award, presented to FCDS for the third consecutive year, places the system in the highest category, which includes only 16 other state registries, and indicates that the FCDS cumulative state data will be used in the “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.”
“These data are a crucial part of cancer surveillance systems, because they are used for research, planning, operating, funding and evaluating cancer control programs,” said Gary Levin, deputy project director for the FCDS. “Complete and accurate data are essential when assessing variations in and changes among population subgroups over time.
“None of the recent recognition and awards would be possible without the combined efforts of the FCDS staff, the Florida Department of Health, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the CDC NPCR program and, perhaps most importantly, the talented and dedicated people working across the state of Florida to bring high quality data into the Florida Cancer Data System.”
Established in 1978 as a joint endeavor between the Florida Department of Health and Sylvester, the Florida Cancer Data System began operation in 1979 with a pilot project for cancer registration, and began statewide collection of cancer incidence data from all Florida hospitals in 1981. The registry is now an industry leader in the automated data collection, analysis and curation of cancer data reported from hospitals, freestanding ambulatory surgical centers, radiation therapy facilities, pathology laboratories and private physician offices.
“We are honored that the Florida Cancer Data System has been recognized for its high-quality data, which plays a critical part in the success of cancer surveillance in the United States,” said Sylvester Director Stephen D. Nimer, M.D.
“This data registry is essential to the advancement cancer center programs, research and allows us to monitor trends to ensure our efforts address the cancer burden in our state and the nation,” said Barbara Vance, Ph.D., assistant vice president and associate director of administration.