National Cancer Registrars Association

What National Cancer Registrars Association does

National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) is a 501(c)-style non-profit professional membership association founded in 1974 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. It represents over 7,000 cancer registry professionals in the United States — individuals responsible for capturing complete patient history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status data for every cancer patient in the U.S. NCRA's flagship offering is the Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) credential, a nationally recognized professional certification that it administers through its Council on Certification subsidiary. The ODS exam is delivered via a partnership with Meazure Learning, supporting both in-person testing centers and remote online proctoring, and is offered three times per year in three-week testing windows. In 2023 NCRA rebranded the credential from Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) to ODS to better reflect the evolving scope of the profession.

NCRA generates revenue across five primary streams: annual membership dues (subscription), one-time ODS exam registration fees ($335 member / $435 non-member), annual certification maintenance fees ($35 member / $145 non-member), education programs through the Center for Cancer Registry Education (CCRE) and its annual conference, and merchandise (pins, badges, certificates, late filing fees). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with Lori Swain as Executive Director, Maria Teresa Ramirez as President, and Vanessa Hoffmann as Immediate Past President.

Beyond credentialing, NCRA operates an extensive education and ecosystem platform: the CCRE online learning portal, the peer-reviewed Journal of Registry Management, a membership newsletter, a dedicated job bank, mentoring programs, and an accredited college network spanning 14+ institutions including Davenport University, San Jacinto College, and University of Cincinnati-Clermont. NCRA also functions as the primary federal advocacy voice for cancer registrars, successfully preserving $53.4M in FY 2026 CDC-NPCR funding, securing a $150M FY 2026 NCI funding increase, and co-advocating with NAACCR for the Counting Veterans Cancer Act. The organization holds membership in the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and is governed as an independent association with no parent company, private equity, or venture backing.

Name

National Cancer Registrars Association

Legal name

National Cancer Registrars Association

Website

https://ncra-usa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Cancer Registrars Association is a non-profit professional membership association that administers the nationally recognized Oncology Data Specialist credential and provides education, certification, and federal advocacy services to over 7,000 U.S. cancer registry professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Credentialing

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

Keywords

• Professional certification
• Cancer registry education
• Medical credentialing services
• Professional membership association
• Health data workforce

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to resources, certification programs, continuing education, job bank, and professional development services
2. ODS Certification Exam Fees: One-time exam registration fees: NCRA member rate $335; non-member rate $435. Exam is administered three times annually in three-week testing windows.
3. Annual ODS Certification Maintenance: Annual maintenance fee for credential holders: NCRA member $35; non-member $145. Covers credential maintenance, CE tracking, and verification services.
4. Merchandise and Products: Sale of branded merchandise including NCRA 50th Anniversary Pins, ODS Pins (individual and bundles), CE Late Filing Fees, certificate replacements, and program recognition fees
5. Education Programs: Revenue from NCRA Center for Cancer Registry Education (CCRE), conference registrations, and accredited education program partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NCRA is a non-profit professional membership association that provides the nationally recognized Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) certification credential for cancer registry professionals. The association supports members through continuing education delivered via the Center for Cancer Registry Education (CCRE) platform, an annual educational conference, accredited college programs, peer-reviewed publications, advocacy before federal agencies, and career services including a job bank.

Product overview

The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) operates as a membership organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional certification, education, and career services for the cancer registry profession. The core offering is the Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) credential, a nationally recognized professional certification administered through NCRA's Council on Certification. Supporting this credential is the Center for Cancer Registry Education (CCRE), an online education platform providing continuing education, exam preparation, and badge programs. NCRA also accredits formal education programs at colleges and universities, publishes the Journal of Registry Management and The Connection newsletter, operates an annual educational conference, and maintains a Job Bank for career placement. These products and services work together to serve the professional lifecycle from education through certification, continuing education, and career advancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ODS (Oncology Data Specialist) Credential Nationally recognized professional certification for cancer registry professionals, demonstrating requisite knowledge and professional competence. Earned by passing the certification exam and maintained through continuing education and annual fees.
• Center for Cancer Registry Education (CCRE) Online education portal providing high-quality educational programming for cancer registry professionals at all career stages, including learning modules, conference encore sessions, JRM quizzes, and badge programs for managing continuing education credits.
• NCRA Annual Educational Conference
• Journal of Registry Management
• NCRA Accredited Education Programs
• ODS Exam Preparation
• NCRA Job Bank
• NCRA Knowledge-Based Badge Programs
• Mentoring & IA Program
• NCRA Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Entry-level cancer registrar positions average $57,000 annually (as referenced by San Jacinto College program)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCRA and NAACCR collaborated on the Counting Veterans Cancer Act, successfully advocating for legislation requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to report cancer cases to state cancer registries. This partnership ensures veterans' cancer cases are fully accounted for in national cancer surveillance, helping identify cancer-related disparities among veterans and increasing their inclusion in clinical trials.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)coreOthersNCRA actively advocates for continued CDC-NPCR funding as the primary voice of cancer registrars. In FY 2026, NCRA successfully preserved $53.4 million in funding after the Administration proposed eliminating the program entirely. NPCR provides federal support for state cancer registries.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) - SEER ProgramcoreOthersNCRA advocates for NCI cancer programs, successfully securing a $150 million increase in FY 2026 funding after the Administration proposed 40% cuts. The NCI SEER Program supports cancer surveillance and research initiatives.
• One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCRA is an active member of OVAC, a collaboration of national non-profit organizations delivering a unified message to Congress on cancer-related appropriations. NCRA represents the role and importance of cancer registrars and registries within this coalition.
• Meazure LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationNCRA partners with Meazure Learning for administration of the ODS certification exam, providing both in-person testing center and remote online proctoring options. The platform offers secure browser testing with live proctoring via webcam and microphone.
• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)coreTechnology or IntegrationNCRA partners with AHIMA to offer a self-directed, online Certificate in Cancer Registry Management. This is the only NCRA-accredited certificate program delivered through a partner organization, allowing professionals to earn credentials through AHIMA's platform.
• University of California San Francisco (UCSF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCSF researchers (Laurie Hailer, Jacqueline Miller, Susan A. Chapman) prepared NCRA's Cancer Registrar Workload and Staffing Study: Guidelines for Hospital Cancer Registry Programs, providing national workload data for registry staffing decisions.
• 14 NCRA Accredited College ProgramscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNCRA accredits formal education programs at colleges and universities including: Davenport University, Andrew College, Hutchinson Community College, Rochester Community and Technical College, Rowan College at Burlington County, San Jacinto College, Santa Barbara City College, Scott Community College, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, University of Cincinnati-Clermont, and others offering associate degrees and certificates in cancer registry management.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC): OVAC is a coalition of cancer-focused nonprofits in which NCRA participates for joint federal appropriations advocacy. While not a credentialing competitor, OVAC is a peer-level stakeholder organization representing cancer community interests before Congress, comparable in its advocacy operating model.

Regional players

• Commission on Cancer (CoC) / American College of Surgeons: CoC sets accreditation standards for hospital cancer programs and effectively mandates cancer registry staffing and credentialing for accredited facilities. CoC is a key demand driver for ODS credentials and an important stakeholder-level peer for NCRA within the US cancer care ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT): ARRT is the established national credentialing body for radiologic technologists, with analogous certification exam, annual registration/renewal, continuing education requirements, and advocacy presence. Comparable in mission (single nationally recognized allied-health credential) and operational structure to NCRA's ODS program.
• HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society): HIMSS is the large healthcare-IT professional membership organization offering credentialing (CPHIMS), annual conferences, and advocacy, analogous to NCRA but operating at much broader scale across the digital health ecosystem.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): ANCC is the premier nursing credentialing subspecialty organization of the ANA, offering specialty certification exams, CE, and Magnet recognition. Comparable in the nursing space as a healthcare specialty certification body with similar revenue mix of exam fees and maintenance dues.

Direct peers

• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA): AHIMA is the largest US health information management professional association, offering credentialing (RHIA, RHIT, CCS), continuing education, and member advocacy. It is a direct peer—NCRA explicitly partners with AHIMA to deliver a Cancer Registry Management certificate, and both serve healthcare data professionals with similar membership/credentialing/CE business models.
• North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR): NAACCR is the standards and data-quality body for central cancer registries in North America and is NCRA's closest allied peer. The two organizations co-developed advocacy (e.g., Counting Veterans Cancer Act) and serve overlapping constituents (registry professionals and registries) with adjacent certification/standards missions.
• AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders): AAPC is a healthcare professional association offering the CPC and related coding credentials, plus CE, exam prep, job board, and conferences. It mirrors NCRA's exact operating model: membership dues + certification exam + maintenance fees + education, but for medical coders rather than cancer registrars.

Emerging players

• American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA): AMIA serves health informatics professionals through credentialing (ACIA/AMIAx), education, and advocacy. As cancer registry work increasingly emphasizes informatics (NCRA has an Education/Informatics track), AMIA represents an emerging adjacent credentialing body with overlapping upmarket content.
• Society for Clinical Data Management (SCDM): SCDM offers the Certified Clinical Data Manager (CCDM) credential and serves clinical data professionals with education, certification, and advocacy. As oncology research evolves, SCDM represents an adjacent clinical-data credentialing peer addressing a partially overlapping data-professional talent pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks8 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalCancerRegistrarsAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-cancer-registrars-association-ncra
• Xx.com/ncranews

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Cancer Registrars Association