Presentation 3 - Coding

Cancer registries use multiple coding applications and manuals to abstract their data. Some examples of these include the Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards (FORDS) which instruct abstractors on the types of tumors that require data collection and define how to accurately code most fields of an abstract. The International Classification of Disease for Oncology (ICD-O) is used to code the histology, behavior, and grade of the patient’s tumor. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging Manual allows for correct staging of the tumor, nodes, and distant metastasis.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the coding manuals and applications used to abstract
• Explain the importance of standardization