Missouri Cancer Registry Awarded NIH/NCI Contract

The Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center is one of seven state registries to be added to the prestigious National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health. The contract will enhance Missouri’s infrastructure for cancer surveillance, treatment and research.

“Cancer remains the second-leading cause of death in Missouri and the United States,” said Iris Zachary, PhD, director of the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center. “Our registry receives approximately 33,000 newly diagnosed cancers annually, with an estimated 12,800 deaths every year. This contract is a great opportunity for us to improve cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship here in Missouri.” 

The SEER Program is an authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival in the United States. SEER collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival data from population-based cancer registries covering approximately 48% of the U.S. population. Missouri’s contract to join the SEER Research Support Registry will run through April 2028 and will allow the registry to participate in selected cancer research activities. 

“This contract provides endless opportunities to focus on cancer control and prevention efforts,” Zachary said. “The timing couldn’t be better and will synergize with the cancer research being conducted at the newly constructed Roy S. Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building.” 

The Missouri Cancer Registry is the state-mandated central cancer registry located on the campus of the University of Missouri and housed within the Department of Health Management and Informatics in the School of Medicine. It’s a collaborative partnership between MU and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Missouri is one of seven states to receive this prestigious NCI SEER research award, along with Arkansas, Tennessee, Colorado, Oregon, New Hampshire and Michigan. To learn more about Missouri’s NCI SEER Program, visit https://seer.cancer.gov/registries/.