The Surgical Diagnostic and Staging Procedure data field is most commonly assigned a code 02 for biopsy that obtains tissue of the primary site, as this is a direct way to identify the histologic type of cancer through a microscopic evaluation. But what about the less common Surgical Diagnostic Staging Procedure codes, such as code 05? The Standards for Oncology Registry Entry (STORE) 2023 describes Surgical…

Timely cancer data is a powerful tool that can create meaningful changes to healthcare standards as well as add value to your cancer program. Best practices for hospital-based cancer registries recommend abstracting reporting cancer cases 4 to 6 months after the patients first contact with the facility whether that be for initial diagnosis or treatment.  An organization that is not meeting timeliness standards for cancer abstract…

As a mother of school-aged children who love to spend time outside, information about drowning prevention piques my interest each summer. Earlier this spring, I read an article about the dangers of children wearing blue, or water-colored, bathing suits. I realized I had just purchased my 8-year-old son a blue bathing suit – it is one of my favorite colors on him! The article highlighted how certain…

Written By: Melissa Chapman RHIT, CTR I was invited to submit an abstract for the 49th Annual NCRA Educational Conference, which was held May 7-10, 2023, in San Diego, CA. “Abstracting difficult sites” was one of the many abstract subjects requested. Therefore, the topic I selected was “Abstracting Head and Neck: A CTR’s Perspective” which was based on a very informative presentation I had presented many…