The New Mexico Tumor Registry (NMTR) is a population-based cancer registry that has served New Mexico since 1966. The NMTR gathers, maintains, analyzes, and disseminates cancer surveillance data and supports scientific investigations of cancer. The NMTR is a division of the Cancer Control and Population Science Program at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC). The NMTR is a founding member of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program and has been continuously funded by the SEER Program since 1973. Data collected by NMTR is routinely used to document and track trends in cancer occurrence and care, support scientific research and inform public health policy.
The NMTR is seeking a skilled Oncology Data Specialist who systematically reviews medical records and other sources of information to identify new cancer cases and documents data items relevant to each patient's cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. This position collaborates with the NMTR’s data collection team to conduct routine quality control and quality assurance activities, which ensure accuracy and completeness of registry data. This position may require occasional travel in New Mexico and Arizona, and/or to participate in regional or national meetings.
The selected candidate:
- Identifies and documents all cases of cancer diagnosed among residents of the central cancer registry's area of coverage from well-established sources of information including, but not limited to, hospitals, clinics, physician offices, pathology laboratories, radiology facilities, and vital record repositories.
- Completes a standard abstract of data items for each cancer case that includes, but is not limited to, patient demographic characteristics, diagnostic procedures, type and primary site of cancer, history and extent of disease, cancer-directed therapy, care providers based on systematic review of medical records, laboratory reports, vital records, and other data sources in accordance with prevailing standards established by recognized standard setters as written in AJCC Staging Manual, SEER Program Coding and Staging Manual, NMTR Manual and SEER*DMS and SEER*ABS Manuals.
- Systematically conducts "follow-up" of all cancer cases in the registry by documenting each patient's vital status and date of last information based on information contained in medical records, vital records, and other sources of information available to the registry.
- Serves as a liaison between the NMTR and assigned reporting facilities within the registry's area of coverage, requesting and obtaining access to medical records and other relevant data sources at each facility, scheduling working visits and traveling to facilities as necessary to conduct on-site case-finding, data collection, follow-up and quality control activities.
- Acquires and maintains working knowledge of SEER*ABS, the registry's primary data collection tool, as well as cancer registry/medical records software at each assigned reporting facility, in order to conduct routine case-finding, data collection, follow-up and quality control activities.
- Conducts routine and ad hoc quality control and quality assurance activities as required.
- Systematically edits records in the central registry database and consolidates information from multiple records into a single record that best represents the experience of a cancer patient.
- Assists investigators in the collection, interpretation, and utilization of central cancer registry data for the purposes of scientific research.
- Assists hospital-based cancer registrars, health care providers and administrators in the collection, interpretation, and utilization of central cancer registry data to address health care and administrative needs.
- Routinely contributes to the development and maintenance of registry-wide resources including, but not limited to, a computerized database of all health care facilities in the registry's area of coverage and computerized database of all physicians who provide care to cancer patients within the registry's area of coverage.
- Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
- Ability to develop and follow research methodology and protocol.
- Ability to gather data, compile information, and prepare reports.
- Ability to understand, analyze and interpret medical/forensic information and terminology.
- Ability to read, understand, and carry out tasks included in the relevant cancer coding, staging, and registry manuals.
- Knowledge of medical data collection codes.
- Ability to convert between imperial (US) and metric system.
- Ability to lead and train staff and/or students.
- Ability to verify data input and correct errors.
- Basic data entry and/or word processing skills.
- Knowledge of patient care charts and patient histories.
- Ability to travel extensively by car to various outreach locations.
- Knowledge of data collection techniques.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to work well with individuals of diverse backgrounds.
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center is the Official Cancer Center of New Mexico and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in a 500-mile radius. Its 136 board-certified oncology specialty physicians include cancer surgeons in every specialty (abdominal, thoracic, bone and soft tissue, neurosurgery, genitourinary, gynecology, and head and neck cancers), adult and pediatric hematologists/medical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, and radiation oncologists. They, along with more than 600 other cancer healthcare professionals (nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, navigators, psychologists and social workers), provide treatment to 65% of New Mexico’s cancer patients from all across the state. And they partner with community health systems statewide to provide cancer care closer to home. In 2024 they treated more than 15,000 patients in almost 105,000 ambulatory clinic visits in addition to in-patient hospitalizations at UNM Hospital. A total of 2,075 patients participated in cancer clinical trials to study new cancer treatments that include tests of novel cancer prevention strategies and cancer genome sequencing. The more than 123 cancer research scientists affiliated with the UNM Cancer Center were awarded $38.3 million in federal and private grants and contracts for cancer research projects. Since 2015, the physicians, scientists and staff have provided education and training experiences to more than 750 high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellowship students in cancer research and cancer health care delivery.
Website: unmhealth.org/cancer
See the Position Description for additional information.
