California Cancer Reporting System Standards Volume I: Abstracting and Coding Procedures
A function of the California cancer reporting system is annual monitoring of patients to ascertain survival rates. Therefore, if follow-up information is available before an abstract is submitted, include the follow-up information in the abstract.
The CCR now requires facilities to use the Modified Record instead of the former Update/Correction and Follow-Up Records to transmit data modifications for abstracts already submitted as New Case Records. Please see Modified Record for more information regarding this change.
Facilities with cancer programs approved by ACoS must update follow-up data annually (consult ACoS Guidelines for requirements).
Re-admission to the facility as an inpatient or outpatient
A report by the patient's physician
Direct response to a letter or phone call to the patient or other contact person
Additionally, regional registries may obtain further follow-up information using the following methods:
Registrar of voters
Welfare agencies
Labor unions
Religious groups
Death certificate
Annual follow-up is not required for a reporting facility that does not have a tumor registry and is submitting an abstract only to meet state reporting requirements. The CCR does not impose follow-up requirements beyond what a hospital chooses to do for its own purposes.
Example: A reporting facility elects not to follow nonanalytic cases, the CCR will not expect to receive follow-up information for such cases.
Current status is defined as contact with the patient within 15 months of the date of last reported follow-up. Although current follow up information is preferred, any information, whether current or not, should still be reported.
Follow-up is required for the following tumors, although they are categorized in class of case 34 or 36. This applies to cases diagnosed January 1, 2010 and forward.
Benign and borderline CNS tumors diagnosed between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003 (before the national benign and borderline CNS tumor reporting requirement was implemented)
VIN III
VAIN III
AIN III
In those cases where a patient is being followed by more than one reporting facility, the regional or the central registry may designate a facility responsible for follow-up in an effort to prevent physicians and patients from receiving requests for information from many sources.
Shared follow-up which discloses the source or name of the facility requires a signed agreement from each participating registry.
Follow-up may be shared without a signed agreement as long as the source is not disclosed.
This does not preclude a facility's registry from submission of more current information about its patients. Shared follow-up is instituted only by agreement among participating facilities in a region.