What is the required rate (percentage) for follow-up in programs approved by the Commission on Cancer for all eligible analytic patients diagnosed within the last 5 years or from the cancer registry reference date, whichever is shorter?

• A. 80%
• B. 90%
• C. 100%
• D. There is no percentage requirement

Answer: (B)

The follow-up rate is the portion of eligible analytic cancer patients who have current follow-up information in the registry. For programs approved by the Commission on Cancer, the target is to have follow-up on 90% of all eligible analytic patients diagnosed within the last five years or from the cancer registry reference date, whichever window is shorter. This level strikes a balance between data quality and real-world challenges in tracking every patient. It’s not 100% because some patients are unreachable or lost to follow-up, but 90% signals a high level of data completeness critical for reliable survival and outcome assessment. The “whichever is shorter” clause ensures the standard applies to the most current data window available.