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Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System |
The Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System (OCISS) is a cancer incidence reporting system, not a registry. In the summer of 1991 the Ohio legislature passed a law making cancer a reportable disease and establishing the OCISS. All primary malignancies, with the exception of basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and carcinoma in-situ of the cervix, diagnosed on and after January 1, 1992 are required to be reported to the OCISS. While physicians have the ultimate responsibility to report the cancer cases, this responsibility may be delegated to a hospital-based medical records department or cancer registry. Physicians that diagnose and/or treat cancer cases within the confines of private practice offices need to make arrangements to have the cases reported through a medical records department of cancer registry or make arrangements to report directly to the OCISS.
The primary objective of the OCISS is to provide high quality data for the identification of high risk populations for the various types of cancer in Ohio. The OCISS was designed in cooperation with the Ohio Cancer Registrars' Association, the American Cancer Society-Ohio Division, the Ohio State Medical Association, and other cancer professionals with the explicit purpose of building on data already being gathered in hospital-based and centralized registries. The hospital-based and centralized cancer registries in Ohio have gathered information on the clinical course of cancer patients for many years. However, it was not possible to determine the types of cancer diagnosed in local residents that were seen outside of these institutions, e.g. in another city, county, or state. The OCISS currently does not include data following the clinical course of each case. Each case is reported only once, upon diagnosis. Thus, the amount of information required for each case is minimal. The design and intent of the OCISS are to enhance, to not intrude, and to minimize additional costs and efforts while striving for high quality data and 100 percent case ascertainment.
The data variables currently recorded in the case reports include personal identifiers, residence (street, city, county, state, and zip code), date of birth, race, gender, diagnosis, therapy, tobacco history, occupation, industry, and underlying cause of death when applicable. They also give source of information: hospital inpatient, outpatient clinic, hospital or private laboratory, physician's office, name of attending physician, autopsy, and death certificate.
Information concerning individual cancer patients obtained by the department of the OCISS is for the confidential use of the department. However, a person involved with a medical research project may be given access to confidential information if the medical research project meets the specific standards. Epidemiological information that does not identify individual cancer patients may be released to any person upon request.
Available Reports:
Contact Information:
Bette Smith, Cancer Registrar
Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System
Chronic and Environmental Disease Surveillance Section
Bureau of Health Surveillance, Information, and Operations Support
Ohio Department of Health
PO Box 118
Columbus OH 43266-0118Phone: (614) 466-3543
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