Burlington County College Marks National Cancer Registrars Week with Info Session on its New Cancer Registry Management Certificate Program

In honor of National Cancer Registrars Week – which recognizes the vital role cancer registrars serve in cancer research, prevention and treatment – Burlington County College (BCC) will host an information session for its new Cancer Registry Management certificate program on Tuesday, April 8.

“Cancer registry management is a rewarding and potentially life-saving career that is within reach at Burlington County College,” BCC Interim President Dr. David Spang said. “National Cancer Registrars Week is the perfect occasion to learn more about this innovative career path at Burlington County College.”

The free session will be held at 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 8 in room 313 of the Lewis M. Parker Center, located on the college’s Pemberton campus. Attendees will learn more about the profession and how to get started in a field that is in need of qualified workers.

“Burlington County College’s new cancer registry program is one of the best ways in the country to achieve a rewarding career in this growing and in-demand field,” said Susan Scully, BCC’s Director of Health Information Technology. “BCC’s program will be one of only eight programs in the country to be accredited by the National Cancer Registrars Association.”

Fewer and fewer candidates are taking the Certified Tumor Registrar exam, according to the National Cancer Registrars Association, which is contributing to a lack of qualified workers in the industry. The growing need for cancer data analysis, collection and monitoring can be attributed, in part, to the advancements in medicine.

“Cancer registrars are cancer information experts and data collectors. The published cancer-related statistics, including survival rates, which come out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are a result of cancer registrars’ work,” said Fran DiLorenzo, BCC’s Coding Program Manager. “That data is more important than numbers, it improves lives for patients.”

BCC’s 25-credit certificate is geared toward professionals who have an associate degree and wish to obtain knowledge needed for the tumor registry exam. Most of the program will be offered online, except for the clinical courses.

In order to apply, prospective students must have an associate degree, a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and passed all of the following prerequisite courses with a “C” or better: medical terminology, anatomy and physiology I & II with labs, pathology and pharmacology.

Official transcripts showing the required courses must be submitted to the admissions department at BCC. Before being accepted into the program, students must also pass the Health Education Systems, Inc. Health Careers Aptitude Test and clear a criminal history background check by Adam Safeguard.

Applications for the Cancer Registry Management certificate program will be accepted until June 1 and can be obtained through BCC’s Health Information Department. For more information, please visit www.bcc.edu/hit or call 609-894-9311, ext. 1711.

Students accepted into the program will be notified by July 1. Classes will begin on Sept. 3. The college also plans on offering offer an Associate of Applied Science degree in Cancer Registry Management in fall 2015, for those who need to fulfill the associate degree requirement.

National Cancer Registrars Week is held from April 7 to April 11. For more information, please visit www.ncra-usa.org.