TABLE 1.

Statutory basis for US cancer surveillance

Statutory basis for US cancer surveillance

Cancer is a reportable disease in all the US states and territories

• Healthcare providers and facilities are required to report cancer cases to state cancer registries

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) permits cancer registries to access and maintain identifiable cancer data

National Cancer Act of 1971 authorized NCI to conduct population-based cancer surveillance, led to the SEER program in 1973

Cancer Registries Amendment Act of 1992 authorized CDC to provide funds to states and territories to enhance existing cancer registries and establish new ones

Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008 required CDC to award a grant to enhance and expand tracking of pediatric cancer and include actual occurrences within weeks

Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2018 (STAR) extended and expanded the Caroline Pryce Walker Act

Note: In the United States, cancer is a reportable illness and cancer surveillance is supported by the NCI and CDC. There is precedent for legislation requiring a specialized program for rapid reporting of a particular type of cancer soon after diagnosis. The Carolyn Pryce Walker Act and subsequent STAR act required rapid reporting of pediatric cancer.

Abbreviations: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Cancer Institute (NCI); SEER, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results.