National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA)

NCRA is a non-profit organization that represents over 6,500 cancer registry professionals and Certified Tumor Registrars. The mission of NCRA is to empower and advance registry professionals through innovations in education, advocacy, credentialing, and strategic partnerships. NCRA provides ongoing training through various mediums including annual conferences, workshops, publications, and their continuing education credit program.

Cancer registrars are data information specialists that capture a complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status for every cancer patient in the U.S. The data provide essential information to researchers, healthcare providers, and public health officials to better monitor and advance cancer treatments, conduct research, and improve cancer prevention and screening programs.

The National Tumor Registrars Association (NTRA) was chartered on May 14, 1974, in Dallas, TX. The efforts to establish a non-profit, national organization representing cancer registry professionals began in the spring of 1972 in San Francisco, CA, at a two-week seminar of cancer registrars. Seven of the attendants formed an ad-hoc committee to study the need for, and feasibility of, a national organization. The committee members were from different geographical areas of the country and the work was done via long-distance phone calls and snail mail. With the help of the American College of Surgeons, the committee conducted a mail survey of cancer registrars in all facilities with approved cancer programs and with the CEOs of these facilities to determine if an organization was needed, and, if established, would it be supported. The results indicated there were both a need and the required support to move forward.