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SCLD Update |
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| Other Topics in this Issue: Breast Cancer
Detection |
Cancer Registries Three states—Montana, Nevada, and New York—amended their cancer registry laws in 1997. Montana law now requires hospitals, licensed health care practitioners, other health-care facilities, and clinical laboratories that provide tumor-related services to report to the registry. The legislation also authorizes the release of reported data to specified health care entities that provide or have provided medical services to persons diagnosed with reportable tumors. The amendment in Nevada requires hospitals, medical laboratories, physicians of patients not otherwise reported, and facilities that provide cancer screening, diagnostic, or therapeutic services to report information on cases of cancer to the previously established cancer reporting system. New York's amendment requires physicians, dentists, other health care providers, and persons in charge of laboratories or cancer reporting facilities to report, within 180 days, every case of cancer or other malignant disease to the state Department of Health. Violators are subject to a civil penalty. Alaska and Kansas enacted their first cancer registries legislation. Alaska's law allows the state Department of Health and Social Services to inspect health care records that would identify cancer patients. Data obtained must be kept confidential, except for authorized clinical, epidemiological, or other public health research. The Kansas law authorizes the Secretary of the state Department of Health and Environment to collect data pertaining to all cancer occurring in the state. Information in the state cancer registry is confidential, but data on residents of other states may be released to those states' registries if confidentiality is assured. West Virginia appropriated specified funds to the state Department of Health and Human Resources for the state's cancer registry for fiscal year 1998. |
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