Certified Oncology Data Specialist

About Us

Oncology Data Specialist

Real-life strategy to reach your goals.

A Certified Oncology Data Specialist (CODS), also known as a Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR), is a professional who specializes in managing and analyzing cancer-related data. They play a critical role in the healthcare system by ensuring accurate collection, management, and interpretation of cancer data, which is used to improve patient care, advance research, and guide public health initiatives.

  • Data Collection

  • Data Management

  • Analysis and Reporting

  • Quality Assurance

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Recognition for Medical Registrars from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

On Dec. 17, 2017, following advocacy efforts from the NCRA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced it would add the detailed occupation code of “Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars” to its Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. This classification, says the NCRA, “reflects the increased use of data to improve medical treatment and care and the critical role cancer registrars play in collecting that data.” The association says the new code will help maintain accuracy on the cancer registry workforce, including current and future workforce needs; salary information, which will help recruit and retained qualified workers, and more. Read the NCRA press release here.

Want to Take Your Career to the Next Level?

The Florida Cancer Registrars Association (FCRA) is a valuable resource for career advancement, particularly for those in or aspiring to enter the cancer registry field. Networking is one of the key ways FCRA can support your growth and development. By joining FCRA, you’ll gain access to a network of professionals who share your career focus. This network can provide insights into industry trends, opportunities to collaborate on projects, and connections to potential mentors who can guide your professional journey.

Cancer registrars play an irreplaceable role in the fight against cancer. Join the fight.

If you’re looking for a job in healthcare that transforms cancer care and doesn’t require years upon years of schooling, a position as an ODS-C might be just the thing for you. As am ODS-C, you’re a part of a team of medical professionals whose work advances cancer screening and treatment, saving and improving the lives of cancer patients. Learn more about what cancer registrars do and why people go into the field.

Already a cancer registrar? Learn what an ODS-C can do for you.

Becoming a Certified Oncology Data Specialist will expand your career opportunities (and can earn you more money, too).

To start your journey to becoming an Oncology Data Specialist-Certified (ODS-C), visit the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) website. The NCRA provides essential information on certifications, career pathways, and educational resources specific to the cancer registry field. Check it out at https://www.ncra-usa.org/About/Become-a-Cancer-Registrar

As an Oncology Data Specialist, You Play a Key Role in the Fight Against Cancer

As an Oncology Data Specialist, you’ll change lives for the better (including your own). Cancer Registrars apply their education and experience to diligently review all of the information in the patient’s medical record to apply state and national standards in how they synthesize that information into discrete data fields within the abstract . These data information specialists capture the complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status of each and every cancer patient in the U.S. Those data points are then used by researchers, healthcare providers, health officials and others to develop, improve and track cancer treatments and research, guiding public health decisions and providing a basis for improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

If you’re looking for a job in demand, this is the one for you. With many cancer registrars across the U.S. retiring, there’s a growing need for new professionals to take their places. That’s good news if you’re looking for a new career or to change careers within the healthcare profession. And here’s even more good news: a college degree isn’t required to become a cancer registrar. So if you’re someone who is working in a hospital and would like a change, a person with an associate’s degree looking for meaningful, good-paying employment or a new college graduate trying to figure out your next steps, a career as a cancer registrar just might be a great fit. Plus, according to the National Cancer Registration’s Salary and Compensation Considerations for Oncology Data Specialists, abstractors have an average salary of $57,049—and those who hold a certification as an Oncology Data Specialist earn significantly more.

Your Career Goes Further with an Oncology Data Specialist Certification 

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Invest in yourself. Earning your Oncology Data Specialist Certification (ODS-C). The credential can help you take your career from “good enough” to great. And the Florida Cancer Registrars Association (FCRA) will help you get there by connecting you with knowledgeable, experienced mentors, and education resources. Once you have an ODS-C, you will have access to the continuing education opportunities you need to maintain your certification.

ODS Credential

Holding an ODS-C credential makes you part of an elite group. It is the standard for professional excellence in cancer registry, and it sets you up for more and better job opportunities. And when we say better, we mean better—the National Cancer Registration’s Salary and Compensation Considerations for Cancer Registrars reports that CTRs earn $25,000 more than cancer registrars without credentials, earning an average annual salary of $72,720, compared to $47,338.

Since it was first offered in 1983, about 6,000 people have earned an ODS credential, and 5,000 of your colleagues hold an ODS-C today, according to the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), whose Council on Certification oversees the administration of the ODS exam as well as credential maintenance.

Continuing Education

To maintain certified status, you must participate in at least 20 hours of continuing education (CE) coursework every two years. This requirement ensures you stay abreast of new developments in oncology in registry data management and that your skills are continuously enhanced and reinforced. Throughout the year, the FCRA offers CE-eligible activities such as regional workshops, teleconferences and an annual seminar to ensure you get the credits you need when you need them. In addition, the NCRA has a list of CE-eligible activities here.

Beginning in 2025, the CEIP activity will require ODS-certified professionals to earn a minimum of eight CE credits of in-person education over four years. The eight CEIP credits are included in the standard 20 CE credits and can be earned across two, two-year CE cycles (i.e. within a four-year window). For more information, please visit to the NCRA Website (NCRA CEIP).

Check out FCRA’s Continuing Education.

The ODS Credential is Valuable

The ODS credential promotes excellence in the field of cancer registry. It establishes a standard of knowledge and experience in the profession, and it promotes registrars’ ongoing professional growth by pushing registrars to achieve and maintain credentialing via continuing education studies.

The ODS-C is awarded to cancer registry professionals who pass the National Cancer Registry Association’s certification examination, but before you can even take the exam, you have to meet certain criteria regarding education attainment and clinical or on-the-job experience. The NCRA has detailed the eligibility requirements here.

Beyond offering you salary negotiating power, an ODS credential shows the world—and your employer—that you are committed to your profession and to continuing to stay in the know about the latest in cancer screening, diagnosis, staging and treatment. Plus, an ODS credential opens up more job possibilities. For instance, Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited facilities require that case abstracting be performed by someone with an ODS certification. CoC-accredited facilities also require you to hold an ODS-C in order to be a member of the cancer committee.

Click here to learn more from the NCRA about ODS certification.