Newswise — New Brunswick, N.J., September 19, 2013 – Antoinette M. Stroup, PhD, has joined Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the state Department of Health to lead the New Jersey State Cancer Registry, whose cancer surveillance team collects and analyzes cancer incidence and survival data across the state. In her new role, Dr. Stroup will oversee the Registry, which serves as a local and national resource for population-based epidemiological studies into the causes, treatments and outcomes in patients with cancer.
The New Jersey State Cancer Registry, housed in the state Health Department and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, is one of only 20 in 16 states designated and funded as part of the National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, which is considered to be the most authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival in the United States. The registry has been collecting statewide cancer surveillance data since 1978, providing population-based cancer incidence and survival data for local cancer control and prevention programs, SEER, and other national and international programs including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries, the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, and the International Association of Cancer Registries.
An important source of information for health care providers, public health officials and administrators, the data collected, tracked and analyzed through the New Jersey State Cancer Registry is useful in describing cancer patterns in the population, discovering causes of cancer, and planning programs for people affected by cancer. Clinicians, scientists and other collaborators utilize information from the registry for varied investigations, including survivorship research and disparities exploration. On average, some 47,000 cancer cases are diagnosed each year in New Jersey.
“The Department remains dedicated to collecting the most comprehensive cancer data available. It is important for researchers, healthcare professionals and New Jersey residents to have this data in order to better understand how cancer impacts our state,” said state Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd, MPH.
Stroup, who was previously the director of the Utah Cancer Registry, also has an appointment as an associate professor and chief of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health. As director of the New Jersey State Cancer Registry, Stroup will assist investigators who study various cancer aspects that are of importance to New Jersey and to cancer research in general in order to increase the understanding of environmental, genetic, socio-cultural, and other influences that affect cancer prevention and control. “New Jersey’s diverse population allows for the most comprehensive cancer data to be recorded, which positions our state’s cancer registry as a leading resource not only locally but also nationally,” noted Stroup. “The ability to generate this information and make it available for cancer control and prevention efforts as well as to researchers to identify cancer trends and address cancer concerns furthers the mission of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in serving our state and beyond.”
“Under Dr. Stroup’s leadership, the New Jersey State Cancer Registry will foster new multi-disciplinary studies, which may yield applications to develop the next generation of cancer research tools that will continue to advance scientific discovery,” said Cancer Institute Director Robert S. DiPaola, MD “Such discoveries will lead to improved and ‘personalized’ treatments for patients.”
About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New JerseyRutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and to serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at the Cancer Institute engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinj.org/giving. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: CentraState Healthcare System, JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Shore Medical Center, Somerset Medical Center, The University Hospital/Rutgers New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. *Academic Affiliate
About Rutgers School of Public HealthThe Rutgers School of Public Health prepares researchers and practitioners in the core areas of public health, including health policy, health education, epidemiology, environmental health and biostatistics, and related areas, to protect and improve the health of communities. The School provides an exceptional, high-quality education across three campuses – New Brunswick, Newark and Stratford – that is accessible, affordable and designed to accommodate today’s working professionals. MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD degrees, as well as dual degrees and certificate programs are offered. The School’s interdisciplinary institutes and centers enable faculty, staff, students and alumni to be involved with many different public health issues affecting the state, the nation and the globe.
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