Section 144-255-5 - PROGRAM OPERATION AND ANNUAL REPORTA. Data Submission 1. New Patient Information. Data on cancer patients shall be submitted to the Department within 30 days from the date of diagnosis or discharge. In the event that more time is needed to obtain or verify the accuracy of required information, the facility/physician may delay submission of patient data for an additional five months (150 days). Optional data elements may be submitted at any time.2. Data Collection. The preferred method for submission of data from reporting facilities to the MCR is by electronic transfer. Data should be transmitted via Internet, by modem, or sent by 31/12" or 51/14" diskette; however, data may be submitted in the form of paper abstracts, if mitigating circumstances prohibit electronic transfer. The Department will make telecommunication software, a toll free telecommunications line, or data forms, available to reporting facilities/physicians. Reporting facilities/physicians are required to report in one of the standard formats adopted by the MCR.3. Because of the technical nature of the reportable data, the MCR strongly urges reporting facilities, if they have not already done so, to obtain the services of a Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) for the purpose of coding the cancer data that are to be sent to the MCR. This expertise may be obtained by agreement with another facility, a qualified individual or the MCR.B. Cancer Prevention and Control Advisory Committee A Cancer Prevention and Control Advisory Committee shall be appointed in accordance with Title 5, section 12004. A Cancer Registry Program Subcommittee shall be established as part of this Committee to advise, assist, and consult with the Commissioner on the scope, intent, and objectives of the MCR. Also, the MCR shall review and approve all changes in these Regulations before they are brought to public hearing, as well as the collection of any optional data items on cancer patients, and shall develop guidelines for reviewing requests for information from the MCR Data Base.
C. Annual Report An annual report consisting of the frequency of new cancer cases by age group, sex, and type of cancer and cancer incidence rates for counties and for the State as a whole will be prepared by the Department and made available to all interested persons no later than 6 months from the end of the data submission period for each year.
10- 144 C.M.R. ch. 255, § 5