What Is Utah Cancer Registry?
Utah Cancer Registry collects and maintains detailed records of all cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths in the state. This information helps doctors, researchers, and public health professionals better understand how cancer affects communities and how to improve treatment and prevention efforts.
The registry follows strict privacy and security standards to protect all personal health information.
Cancer registries operate in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. Together, they provide essential data to track cancer trends and measure progress in the fight against cancer. Each year, more than 2 million people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer, including over 18,000 individuals in Utah.
What We Do
Utah Cancer Registry collects and analyzes cancer data to support research, guide public health programs, and improve medical care across the state and nation. These data help answer important questions such as:
- Who in Utah is being diagnosed with cancer?
- What types of cancer are most common?
- Where in the state are cancer cases occurring most frequently?
- When are screening and prevention strategies making a measurable impact?
- How well are new treatments working?
When a person in Utah is diagnosed with cancer, their doctor or hospital securely reports details of the diagnosis to Utah Cancer Registry. This reporting is required under Utah Administrative Code Rule R384-100, known as the Cancer Reporting Rule. The Rule establishes the state’s responsibility to monitor cancer trends and support prevention efforts. Utah Cancer Registry collects and manages this information on behalf of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
Protecting people’s confidentiality is central to this work. Certified staff use advanced technologies and follow strict procedures to keep personal information safe.
Purpose of a Central Cancer Registry
Central cancer registries, including Utah Cancer Registry, collect information on cancer cases in their area. Data are also carefully reviewed to ensure accuracy and completeness before sharing with national cancer databases.
Information in state and national cancer databases help doctors, public health leaders, and researchers better understand cancer. They use it to identify risk factors, study how well treatments and prevention programs work, and track trends in cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths.
Our History
Cancer was first designated as a reportable disease in Utah in 1948, meaning physicians were required to report the diagnosis to the state. Systematic, statewide data collection began in 1966, when Dr. Charles Smart of LDS Hospital established Utah Cancer Registry.
In 1973, the registry became one of the original participants in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and has contributed data continuously since that time. In 2017, it also joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR).
National Affiliations
Utah Cancer Registry is supported by the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries. The registry contributes de-identified data to both, helping to create and maintain the nation’s most widely used cancer data resources.
Collaboration in Public Health
Utah Cancer Registry works closely with cancer programs within the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, including the Utah Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
In partnership with organizations across the Utah Cancer Coalition, the registry provides data that help set priorities and inform the development and implementation of the state’s cancer control plan.
Additional Support
Utah Cancer Registry receives additional support from University of Utah Health and Huntsman Cancer Institute. We also recognize the essential contributions of cancer registrars and medical professionals across Utah who report cancer data each year.
Certifications and Data Quality
Awards from Data Quality Authorities
Utah Cancer Registry is consistently recognized by leading cancer data organizations for its high standards in data quality, completeness, and timeliness:
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program — National Cancer Institute
- 2026 First Place Data Quality Profile, recognizing high-quality data for the 2023 diagnosis year
National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- 2025 Registry of Distinction, awarded for complete, timely, and high-quality data, as measured by national standards
- 2025 Registry of Surveillance, recognizing data that meet requirements for inclusion in U.S. Cancer Statistics, the federal government’s official cancer incidence data
North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR)
- 2026 Gold Standard Certification, recognizing excellence in quality, completeness, and timeliness for diagnosis years 2010–2023
National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA)
The NCRA provides national certification for professionals in cancer data collection and management. Utah Cancer Registry employs NCRA-certified Oncology Data Specialists (ODS-C), ensuring expertise in all areas of cancer registration.