Beginning in 2003, which organization funded SEER registries to link their data to the IHS patient registration database?

• A. National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• B. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• C. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• D. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Answer: (A)

Funding for linking SEER registries to the Indian Health Service patient registration database came from the National Cancer Institute, which administers the SEER program. SEER collects cancer incidence and survival data across population-based registries, and in 2003 NCI provided support to connect these data with IHS records to improve surveillance for American Indian/Alaska Native populations, enabling more accurate matching of cancer cases and outcomes and a clearer view of disparities. The other agencies listed do not fund this SEER–IHS linkage.