The West Virginia Cancer Registry (WVCR), housed within the West Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, has been recognized as a ‘Registry of Excellence’ by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) for meeting both the 24-month and 12-month data standards based on its November 2025 data submission. This is the highest recognition level given by the NPCR and marks West Virginia’s continued dedication to data completeness and quality.
“This recognition is well-deserved and is a direct reflection of our commitment to providing high-quality data to assist in conducting cancer research, monitoring cancer trends, and evaluating programming,” shared Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh. “I want to congratulate all those involved and thank them for their service to West Virginia and our nation as we work to learn more about a disease that affects so many lives and families.”
“Earning this designation is a monumental achievement that belongs entirely to our dedicated team at the WVCR,” added Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology Jaunita Conaway. “Meeting the highest standards requires meticulous effort every single day. I am incredibly proud of our staff's commitment to ensuring West Virginia's cancer data is an accurate, complete, and powerful tool that cancer prevention and control partners, healthcare providers, and policymakers can rely on to actively fight cancer across the Mountain State.”
West Virginia was one of only 20 central cancer registries recognized as a Registry of Excellence. As a result of meeting these standards, West Virginia’s data will be included in the upcoming U.S. Cancer Statistics (USCS) data products, including the USCS Data Visualization tool and researcher public use databases, which provides incidence and death counts, rates, stage distribution, and trend data; survival and prevalence estimates; and state-, county-, and congressional district-level data.
WVCR was established by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources in 1991 as a breast and cervical cancer registry. In 1993, WVCR became an all-site registry, collecting data on all cancers except basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and in situ cervical cancer. In 2002, two years prior to the Federal mandate, WVCR began collecting data on non-malignant brain and other central nervous system tumors.
WVCR is funded by both State and Federal funding, with the latter administered through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries.
