Vermont Cancer Registry
- Why is cancer tracked by the Vermont Department of Health?
- What is the Vermont Cancer Registry?
- How is the information collected?
- What information does the registry collect?
- What trends does the Vermont Cancer Registry study?
- How is the information collected by the Vermont Cancer Registry used to help people who have been diagnosed with cancer?
- Is information in the registry kept confidential?
- For more information
Why is cancer tracked by the Vermont Department of Health?
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Vermont, accounting for nearly one-quarter of all deaths in the state. Nearly one out of two men and one out of three women will develop cancer in their lifetime. Each year, approximately 3,500 Vermonters are newly diagnosed with cancer.
Many forms of cancer can be prevented through good dietary habits and avoiding tobacco. Early screening and detection for some forms of cancer can save lives.
People living with cancer, family, friends, healthcare providers, insurers, public health professionals, legislators, survivor advocates and the media have a stake in cancer control, and understanding more about the epidemiology of cancer will lead to better disease prevention and more effective treatment.
What is the Vermont Cancer Registry?
The Vermont Cancer Registry (VCR) is Vermont’s statewide population-based cancer surveillance system. The registry collects information about all cancers (except non-melanoma skin cancers and carcinoma in situ of the cervix) and all benign brain tumors diagnosed in Vermont. VCR is part of a statewide effort to reduce the impact of cancer on individuals, families and communities in Vermont .
The goals of the registry are to:
- Determine the incidence of cancer in the Vermont population.
- Monitor cancer incidence and mortality trends among state residents.
- Identify high risk populations.
- Report findings to health care professionals and the public.
- Contribute data for cancer prevention, control and treatment programs.
How is the information collected?
State law requires physicians and hospitals to report to the VCR information on all cases of cancer and benign brain-related tumors they diagnose or treat in Vermont. Through interstate agreements, information on Vermonters diagnosed or treated in other states is also included in Vermont’s registry. The registry does not collect information directly from patients.
What information does the registry collect?
- Demographic, including name, age, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, birth place, residence and occupation.
- Administrative, including the name of the hospital or physician who reported the information.
- Diagnostic, including the anatomic location and type of cancer, date of diagnosis, size of tumor and stage.
- First Course of Treatment, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormones, immunotherapy and other cancer-directed treatment.
What Trends does the Vermont Cancer Registry study?
- Incidence: the number or rate of new cancer cases diagnosed each year.
- Mortality: the number or rate of deaths due to cancer each year.
- Vermont vs. US: how the state’s cancer rates compare to the nation.
- Yearly trends: whether rates are declining, steady or increasing with time.
- Age: The percentage or rate of people in various age groups who are diagnosed with cancer.
- Gender: how male rates compare with female rates.
- County: how each county’s cancer rates compare to the nation.
- Stage: the percentage or rate of cancer cases diagnosed at an early (localized) or late (regional or distant) stage.
How is the information collected by the Registry used to help people who have been diagnosed with cancer?
Improving the public health of Vermonters involves ongoing assessment to identify problems, inform policy decisions, evaluate existing programs, and direct resources. That assessment includes learning more about people who have cancer (research risk factors), the stage of disease when people were diagnosed (opportunities for early detection) and the treatment they received (consistency with best practices) .
Is information in the registry kept confidential?
Yes. The identities of individual cancer patients, physicians and facilities are protected by law and are never revealed outside the registry system.
For More Information
Contact the Vermont Cancer Registry
Tel. 802-865-7749 or 800-464-4343 ext. 7749 (from within Vermont)
Email: VTCancerRegistry@state.vt.us
National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)