Cancer Registrars

The Department of Labor predicts much faster than average employment growth for medical registrars, including cancer registrars, and health information technologists. Approximately 16 percent job growth is expected through 2032, with about 3,100 new job openings each year in that time frame.

While no breakdown is given for cancer registrars, industry reports are consistent with respect to anticipated growth, as the need for reporting becomes more significant to public health. Industry experts see a shortage in qualified cancer and tumor registrar applicants, in part due to increasingly stringent requirements to sit for the certified oncology data specialist exam. While the number of credentialed registrars remains relatively small (about 9,000 nationally, according to the National Cancer Registrars Association), the proliferation of hospital-based, public population-based, and private registries will require an increased number of cancer and tumor registrars over the next ten years to keep up with the demand. In addition, as medical data becomes more widely available, more cancer registrars will be needed to update registries.

As the government increases focus on regional and national data collection and analysis as an aid to seeking prevention and cures for cancer, the field of employment for cancer registrars and tumor registrars is anticipated to grow.