South Carolina Central Cancer Registry

The South Carolina Central Cancer Registry (SCCCR) is the population-based cancer surveillance system for the state of South Carolina.  The SCCCR collects, processes, analyzes, and publishes cancer incidence (newly diagnosed cases) for South Carolina, and is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR).  The SCCCR also publishes information on cancer mortality (deaths), the data provided from DHEC’s Office of Vital Statistics.

Data from the SCCCR are used to determine the frequency and rate of cancer occurrence in a defined area (such as county or region), the frequency of occurrence in population subgroups (such as males, females, by race and age), and the comparison of SC cancer trends (incidence, mortality and survival) to national patterns over time. 

Annual data submissions are made to CDC and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) of de-identified cancer data.  The data undergo stringent examination to test for completeness, timeliness, and quality.  High marks for these criteria are rewarded with Registry of Distinction and Gold Certification designations which the SCCCR has consistently received over the years.  By reaching this level of data excellence, the SCCCR cancer data are included in the official cancer statistics publication for the nation called United States Cancer Statistics.

The SCCCR is the point of contact within DHEC to assess community cancer concerns through data analysis. CDC guidelines are followed to determine any cancer excess in the community.  A Community Cancer Assessment (CCA) report is provided with results of the assessment for all requests. (For more information, see Cancer Clusters). 

You may query cancer incidence and mortality data using the South Carolina Community Assessment Network (SCAN), and information is also available in SCCCR publications.

Contact Information

S.C. Central Cancer Registry
S.C. Department of Health & Environmental Control
2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Telephone: (803) 898-8000
Fax: (803) 898-0993
Cancer.registry@dhec.sc.gov

 

Cancer Registry Laws

The U.S. Congress established the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1992 by enacting the Cancer Registries Amendment Act, Public Law 102-515.

The SC General Assembly passed the Central Cancer Registry Act, SC Law 44-35  on June 6, 1996. The Central Cancer Registry Act supports the assurances of Public Law 102-515 and states that all health care providers must report cancer cases to the SCCCR. The Act also ensures that patient confidentiality, as well as physician confidentiality, is protected. Reporting sources who submit data to the SCCCR are also protected from liability incurred through compliance with the state law. 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

In 1996 the U.S. Congress passed a law requiring uniform federal privacy protections for individually identifiable health information. This law is called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued final regulations implementing the privacy provisions of HIPAA. These regulations are called the "Privacy Rule". Copies of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, as well as helpful explanatory materials, may be found at the HHS Office of Civil Rights web site. 

HIPAA guidelines went into effect April 14, 2003. The SCCCR, in the Bureau of Health Improvement and Equity (BHIE), is considered a non-covered entity according to HIPAA guidelines. Therefore, HIPAA regulations only minimally impact current state cancer reporting procedures. HIPAA allows for the reporting of identifiable cancer data to public health entities. Because the SCCCR falls under the definition of a public health entity, HIPAA allows facilities and physician practices to continue to report data to the SCCCR in compliance with state law. Written informed consent from each cancer patient reported to public health entities is not required under HIPAA; rather facilities and physician practices must simply document that reporting has occurred.