Loma Linda University Health has been a leader in treating cancer patients since 1905. Only a handful of institutions in California have as long a history documenting cancer cases.

The Cancer Registry Database represents data on all reportable cancer cases diagnosed or treated by our providers since its inception. Sharing, analyzing and learning from this data is crucial to improving outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients everywhere.

Collecting & Sharing Cancer Data

Long before reporting became law in California, the Loma Linda Tumor Registry began collecting cancer cases. This registry ran from 1947 through 1986 and contains over 33,000 cancer cases. Its responsibilities passed to the current Cancer Registry Database in 1987.

The current database is managed by our Cancer Data Center, which collects a standardized set of core cancer data elements. Lifetime annual follow-ups with each patient provide further data for researchers to leverage in their cancer research.

Strict procedures ensure our patients’ confidentiality and right to privacy are protected.

The Cancer Registry Database currently contains about 80,000 cases. Data about these cases is reported at the state and national level for use by researchers outside our community. Reports are sent regularly to two organizations:

  • Monthly to the California Cancer Registry, managed by the California Department of Public Health
  • Monthly to the Rapid Cancer Reporting System (RCRS), in conjunction with accreditation requirements for the American College of Cancer Program. 

Informing Cancer Research

The data available in the Cancer Registry Database is an essential component of cancer research at Loma Linda University Health. The database illuminates opportunities for improvements in cancer care that may have otherwise been invisible. Researchers and physicians utilize the database to:

  • Source data for ongoing studies approved by our Internal Review Board
  • Inform feasibility studies, which help determine if a trial or study is possible
  • Enhance grant proposals, which help get feasibility studies funded

Cancer Research Resources

Multidisciplinary Tumor Board – Cancer Conferences

The Medical Center now offers ten multidisciplinary Tumor Board/Cancer Conferences, coordinated by the Cancer Center’s Outcomes and Quality personnel. Tumor Board/Cancer Conferences offer physicians an opportunity to present newly diagnosed cancer cases for a prospective, multidisciplinary review.

At each of the Tumor Board/Cancer Conferences, physicians present prospective cases for consideration. The patient’s history, scans and pathology are reviewed. The findings are then discussed with further diagnostic and treatment options proposed.

Tumor board schedule

For more information about Tumor Board/Cancer Conferences, contact: Janet Arias at 909-651-5432

Cancer Registry Data, contact: Karen Koehn at 909-651-5458.