The CRStar team is proud to join cancer registrars worldwide in celebrating the 29th annual National Cancer Registrars Week (NCRW) from April 7 to 11, 2025. Cancer registrars are the unsung superheroes of oncology, using the power of data to drive lifesaving research, shape treatment guidelines, and improve patient outcomes.
Behind every breakthrough, every statistic, and every patient’s journey, these dedicated professionals work tirelessly to collect, analyze, and protect the data that fuels progress in cancer care. Their precision, expertise, and commitment ensure that cancer patients receive the best possible treatment based on real-world evidence.
We extend our deepest gratitude to these data champions for their unwavering dedication. Your work is not just numbers—it’s hope, progress, and a better future for all those affected by cancer.
Thank you for being the superheroes of cancer data!
We hope to see you at NCRA 2025 in Orlando from May 3-6! You can find us at Booth #304 if you are attending in person or visit our virtual booth if you are attending online.
Reevaluating Treatment for Stage III Endometrial Cancer
Data on gynecological malignancies are essential for hospital, state, and national cancer registries, enabling outcome studies that compare various treatment approaches. For stage III endometrial cancer, treatment options include radiotherapy and, more recently, chemotherapy. However, whether combining these modalities improves survival outcomes remains uncertain.
A recent phase 3 trial found that adding radiation to chemotherapy did not improve overall or recurrence-free survival in patients with locally advanced endometrial cancer compared to chemotherapy alone. In this randomized study, 813 patients with stage III or IVA endometrial cancer (median age: 60 years) were assigned to receive either chemoradiotherapy (n = 407) or chemotherapy alone (n = 406). Among them, 680 received the assigned treatment (333 in the chemoradiotherapy group and 347 in the chemotherapy group). The study population was predominantly non-Hispanic White, with 10% identifying as Black, and 97% had stage III disease.
The primary endpoint of the trial was recurrence-free survival, with overall survival also analyzed across both treatment groups. Results showed no improvement in local recurrence rates for patients receiving chemoradiotherapy compared to those receiving chemotherapy alone. Overall survival remained similar between the two groups. After a median follow-up of 112 months, the median overall survival had not been reached in either arm.
This updated analysis demonstrated that adding pelvic radiation to chemotherapy provided no benefit in recurrence-free or overall survival for patients with stage III locally advanced endometrial cancer. Additionally, no pathological or demographic factors were identified that predicted a survival advantage in the chemoradiotherapy group.
Episode 37: A Conversation with Wui-Jin Koh, MD, Senior VP and Chief Medical Officer, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
This episode of Cancer Registry World features Dr. Wui-Jin Koh, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Dr. Koh explores the vital role of cancer registry data in shaping treatment guidelines and how data-driven guidelines contribute to advancements in cancer management. Tune in to gain valuable insights from this important discussion.
Join CRStar at the 2025 NCRA Conference
The CRStar by Health Catalyst™ team is excited to connect with you at the 2025 NCRA Annual Educational Conference, happening May 3-6 in Orlando, Florida! Whether you’re attending in person or joining us in the Virtual Exhibit Hall, we look forward to sharing how CRStar can help your cancer registry drive meaningful change and improve patient care.
Visit us at Booth #304 to meet our expert team, including Melanie Rogan, Bonnie Nelson, Jonathan Rakestraw, Dr. Rick Greene, and Jaclyn O'Neil, VP of Point Solutions Sales. While you're there, be sure to request a live demo of CRStar’s Workflow Navigator—the game-changing enhancement that lets you customize casefinding and abstraction workflows like never before. See how you can streamline case assignments, personalize workflows, and boost efficiency with intuitive, flexible tools!
Learn how CRStar, our powerful cancer registry management solution, provides a strong data foundation to help health systems transform registry data into actionable insights that enhance patient outcomes, discover how CRStar seamlessly integrates into your cancer center’s patient journey to support compliance, reporting, and data-driven decision-making, and connect with our team to discuss best practices, challenges, and innovations in cancer registry management.
We’re also proud to highlight our partnership with HLA Global, which has enabled CRStar to offer an NLP Pathology solution for casefinding—a game-changing tool for cancer registries. This innovative technology streamlines and enhances the casefinding process, addressing a critical need in cancer registry operations. Be sure to stop by our booth to learn more about this exciting advancement!
Want to schedule dedicated time with our team at NCRA? Click below to book a meeting—we’d love to chat! We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!
CRStar by Health Catalyst is a Silver Sponsor for the 2025 NCRA Educational Convention in Orlando, FL
The CRStar by Health Catalyst™ team is excited to connect with cancer registry professionals at the NCRA Annual Educational Conference, taking place May 3-6, 2025, in Orlando, Florida! As a Silver Sponsor, we’re committed to supporting the cancer registry community and advancing data-driven cancer care.
Visit us in the Exhibit Hall to meet our expert team—Melanie Rogan, Bonnie Nelson, Jonathan Rakestraw, Dr. Rick Greene, and Jaclyn O’Neil, VP of Point Solutions Sales—and discover how CRStar empowers cancer programs with comprehensive registry management, seamless data integration, and actionable insights that enhance patient outcomes.
Can’t attend in person? Join us in the Virtual Exhibit Hall to explore how CRStar can support your registry’s success.
We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!
March 2025 Newsletter
Episode 36: A Conversation with Janet Vogel, ODS-C, NCRA Board Director, Public Relations and Communications
This episode of Cancer Registry World features Janet Vogel, ODS-C, NCRA Board Director for Public Relations and Communications. Janet is also a Quality and Education Auditor at Omega Healthcare and the host of the popular webinar Tumor Talk. She shares her journey of becoming a cancer registrar, offers insights into the challenges of implementing new coding standards, and discusses her passion for educating the cancer registry community. Tune in for an enlightening and entertaining discussion!
Clinical Corner - March 2025
Can Low-Dose Aspirin Reduce Colorectal Cancer Recurrence?
The benefits of low-dose aspirin have been debated for years, particularly regarding its role in reducing coronary disease. However, its potential in preventing and managing colorectal cancer (CRC) has gained significant attention. A recent study found that low-dose aspirin reduced CRC recurrence by over 50% in patients whose tumors harbored mutations in the PI3K signaling pathway. These findings underscore the critical importance of upfront genomic testing for CRC patients.
This is the first trial to demonstrate that PI3K pathway mutations predict aspirin response, significantly expanding the targetable patient population—given that approximately 30% of CRCs carry these mutations. While aspirin’s potential as a chemopreventive agent for CRC has been explored, definitive data confirming its effectiveness and its adoption in clinical practice have been lacking until now.
The study included 626 patients (median age: 66 years; 52% women) with stage II–III colon cancer (67%) or stage I–III rectal cancer (33%) across 33 hospitals in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway. Patients were stratified based on specific PI3K pathway alterations and randomly assigned to receive either aspirin (160 mg daily) or a placebo for three years.
The primary outcome was CRC recurrence, with disease-free survival as a secondary endpoint. In patients with PIK3CA mutations, aspirin reduced the risk of recurrence by 51%, with a three-year recurrence rate of 7.7% in the aspirin group compared to 14.1% in the placebo group. The benefit of aspirin was consistent across all subgroups, including men and women, those with colon or rectal cancer, patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment, and those with stage I, II, or III disease.
This study reinforces the need to integrate genomic marker data into clinical registries to guide personalized treatment strategies that can effectively reduce cancer recurrence.
Maximize Registry Efficiency and Productivity with Automated Interfaces
Is your cancer registry still relying on manual casefinding? Automating casefinding and integrating key data sources can significantly boost your cancer registry’s productivity, timeliness, and efficiency—helping your team move toward concurrent reporting and research initiatives.
Seamless Integration with Key Data Sources
On average, registry teams spend 15% of their time on casefinding, and once a case is deemed reportable, registrars spend another 1.5 to 2 hours per abstract. But what if your registry could seamlessly integrate essential data elements—such as diagnostics, staging, physician care team, and treatment details—directly into the abstract?
Standard EMR Casefinding Interface – Includes follow-up options
Expanded EMR Interface – Incorporates Medical Oncology & Radiation Oncology data
Pathology Interface – Enhances case identification accuracy
Not only does this streamline workflow, but these automated sources can also update follow-ups on existing patients, supporting compliance with CoC Standard 6.5.
Automated Data Sharing for a Comprehensive Oncology Ecosystem
CRStar offers outbound interfaces that allow your registry data to integrate with:
Data Warehouses – Centralize and analyze oncology data
Patient Navigation Solutions – Improve care coordination
Precision Medicine Solutions – Support personalized treatment strategies
The Value of Cancer Registry Integration
Connecting data to and from your cancer registry delivers tangible benefits across your cancer program, including:
Enhanced casefinding and abstracting concurrency
Improved follow-up rates
Increased registry productivity and efficiency
Optimized resource allocation for other operations
Stronger support for reporting, quality, and research initiatives
Better alignment with the entire oncology service line
These proven solutions are already available through your cancer program’s source systems and integrate seamlessly into CRStar. The return on investment is quickly realized.
