My Life in the Cancer Surveillance Community

Like many individuals, I happened to stumble into the cancer registry profession. I was a college student, looking for part-time work at the university career center. The cork board consisted of many 3×5 index cards and thumb tacks (for those who still remember those items), promoting all sorts of positions. One card caught my eye, because I had no idea what this entailed. It stated that a Nurse Epidemiologist working at the USC Cancer Surveillance Program was looking for an assistant to help her conduct case/control study interviews. I had always been interested in health-related occupations and this was such a unique posting, so I went and applied for it. To my surprise, I got the job!

As I was oriented to the job, people would come into the office and provide us with “abstracts” of potential candidates for inclusion in our lymphoma case/control studies. I asked my boss where all this data came from? Well, that answer opened an entire introduction to the world of cancer surveillance data collection! Soon I enrolled in the USC Cancer Registry Training Program. I knew I had found my unique but little-known career path! As I often tell people, I believe that sometimes professions choose us, we don’t seek them. That’s how I felt about my entrance to the cancer surveillance data collection world!

My involvement with the NAACCR community has broadened my perspective and increased my respect for those involved in cancer surveillance. It has taught me that this community is so selfless, consisting of people who are so willing to assist and mentor others, and expecting nothing in return. What a rare commodity in today’s world! I have learned so much from others in the NAACCR community and gained so much support and encouragement from the network of colleagues and friends, that propelled me to take on more leadership roles within NAACCR. The NAACCR staff was also very instrumental in my decision to take on more volunteer leadership roles, as they are an amazingly talented group, guiding and supporting volunteers.

My participation in NAACCR has enriched me professionally and personally. The network of people I know I can call upon for guidance, support and advice became my mental safety net. I knew they had my back and I had theirs. Mutual respect and the desire to continue to learn, problem solve, and become more efficient and effective became the hallmark of conversations and discussions on NAACCR Task Forces and Work Groups.

I have to say that I was completely caught off guard in being presented with the NAACCR Constance Percy Award at the 2018 NAACCR Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. I never thought my involvement with NAACCR would make me a potential candidate for this esteemed award. I was literally speechless when accepting the award, which is so rare for me, but reflected my total disbelief by being deemed worthy of this honor and recognition. I never saw it coming!

My favorite memories of my NAACCR involvement was attending the NAACCR Annual Conferences. I was able to go to places I would have never had the opportunity to visit, while networking with my colleagues and friends. It was a combination of a reunion gathering with people I knew but hadn’t seen in a year, combined with meeting colleagues for the first time and forging new relationships. In addition, the educational sessions were always so good and relevant to the work being done. I always walked away with so many ideas for things I could consider implementing in my own registry. It was always such an enriching and inspiring experience, both professionally and personally!

I would encourage any new cancer surveillance professionals to get involved with NAACCR. It will open a whole world of networking opportunities and provides individuals with a voice in the many activities offered by NAACCR. You may even find your voice like I did!

I’m not sure what’s in store next for me, but I know that I still have many colleagues who I now call friends, that I can call upon. This community truly forges long relationships. As I recently said to someone, it’s the tie that binds us together long after our professional days are done. You can’t ask for more than that! I have been so blessed and grateful for this professional journey and I am excited to see what lies ahead!