Cancer data are a critical part of both medical care and public health.
This information allows health professionals and researchers to:

• Track which cancers are increasing
• Identify populations at higher risk
• Guide prevention and treatment efforts

This information is used to create better screening guidelines and strategies to detect cancer, create educational programs to prevent cancer, identify which cancers need better therapies, and develop guidelines and programs to help cancer survivors thrive.

Data from Utah Cancer Registry and other registries across the country have helped:

• Expand access to mammograms for early detection of breast cancer
• Demonstrate improvements in childhood leukemia survival from 1 in 10 to 9 in 10
• Identify rising colorectal cancer rates in young adults
• Discover genes linked to increased cancer risk

Utah Cancer Registry produces reports to help the public, researchers, and policymakers understand cancer trends and identify populations needing support.

These reports do not include personal information. Qualified researchers may request access to a secure version of the data for approved studies. All requests are carefully reviewed by a committee that includes representatives from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and Utah Cancer Registry. In addition, every study is reviewed by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure it meets ethical and privacy standards. When a research project is completed, all data must be returned or securely destroyed.

If you are planning to file a claim under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program (RECA), often referred to as the “Downwinders” Program, visit the program’s official website or contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-800-729-7327 for more information.

You do not need to request your cancer records from Utah Cancer Registry before submitting a claim. Once you authorize access as part of your application, the Department of Justice will request your records directly from the registry. This process helps ensure a more efficient and streamlined experience.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer in the state of Utah, you may request your information from Utah Cancer Registry. Requests may also be made by a next of kin, legal guardian, or an individual with power of attorney, provided appropriate documentation is submitted.

To request records, please complete and submit the Request for Confidential Cancer Record Form.

If you are requesting cancer information for a RECA claim, you do not need to complete this form. Instead, work directly with the Department of Justice, which will request the necessary records from Utah Cancer Registry on your behalf.

Please note: 

We are experiencing an unprecedented number of requests for cancer records. Our limited staff are doing our best to respond to these requests as fast as we can. Due to the large number of requests, the current turnaround time for you to receive a response to your submitted request form is approximately 3-4 months.  We thank you for your patience as we work diligently to respond to each of these requests as quickly as we can. Please see Submitting a Request for Confidential Cancer Information– Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

The user data collected by this website is included in Record Series #31595.

Protecting your privacy is one of Utah Cancer Registry’s highest priorities. All records are stored on secure, encrypted systems and can only be accessed by trained staff who have signed confidentiality agreements. The registry follows strict state and federal requirements, as well as University of Utah policies, to safeguard sensitive information. These include:

• State confidentiality and data security standards
• Federal confidentiality and data security standards
• University of Utah confidentiality and data security policies

These safeguards ensure that the identities of individuals diagnosed with cancer remain confidential. Cancer information is only released under specific circumstances, as outlined in Utah Cancer Registry’s Policies and Procedures for Data Disclosure.

Access to registry data for research is limited to qualified researchers and requires approval through a formal review process. This includes review by the registry’s data oversight committee and an Institutional Review Board (IRB). These steps help ensure that cancer data are used responsibly and that individual rights and privacy are protected.

Utah Cancer Registry may contact cancer survivors to invite them to participate in research studies. Many individuals choose to take part and find it meaningful to contribute to research that helps others. Participation in these studies has supported hundreds of research efforts that advance understanding of cancer causes, patient needs, and ways to improve outcomes.

Participation is always voluntary.

If you receive a letter from Utah Cancer Registry and have questions about the study or the invitation, please contact the registry for more information.

If you would like to learn more about your rights as a research volunteer, you can find more information on the University of Utah Institutional Review Board website

You can explore Utah cancer statistics and additional resources on the Accessing Cancer Statistics page.