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2001 Annual Report IntroductionThe Oregon State Cancer Registry (OSCaR) was established by the 1995 Oregon Legislature to conduct statewide cancer surveillance and to guide cancer control program planning. The registry began collecting information on all reportable cancers diagnosed in Oregon on January 1, 1996, forward. The Oregon legislation defines the purpose of OSCaR as follows: "...to provide information to design, target, monitor, facilitate, and evaluate efforts; determine the causes or sources of cancer among the residents of Oregon; and reduce the burden of cancer and benign tumors in Oregon."Data from OSCaR provide an overview of all reportable cancers diagnosed in Oregon, including all malignant neoplasms except basal or squamous cell carcinomas of the skin and in situ cervical cancers. Cancer incidence data, which is collected by registrars trained in cancer reporting, provide a more complete picture of cancer among Oregonians than can be obtained from mortality data alone. This information is useful for cancer prevention programs, clinicians, policy makers, and also for the public to understand the impact of cancer among Oregonians. By combining information from the statewide cancer registry, death certificates, and health behavior surveys, we can answer a variety of epidemiological questions. Many such questions are covered in this report including the following:
As OSCaR continues to collect population-based cancer data, additional questions can be addressed. OSCaR data provide an opportunity to identify variations in cancer rates among sub-populations. For instance, are there specific groups of Oregonians who are disproportionately affected by cancer? Are there geographic areas in Oregon with higher cancer risk than the rest of the state? This information will help cancer control programs appropriately target at-risk populations as well as support epidemiologic studies of risk factors and cancer etiology. |
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