NCRA honors top members and registry papers at 2026 conference

The National Cancer Registrars Association recognized member achievements and 2025 Journal of Registry Management winners at its annual conference in Louisville on May 7, 2026. The awards spotlight leadership in cancer registry practice and research tied to cancer data quality and outcomes.

Why it matters: - The National Cancer Registrars Association used its 2026 Annual Educational Conference to highlight leadership, mentorship and research in the cancer registry profession. - The awards recognize work that supports higher-quality cancer data, better registry practice and stronger professional standards. - The Journal of Registry Management awards also point to research that can inform cancer outcomes and registry management.

What happened: - NCRA presented awards at its Recognition and Awards Reception on May 7, 2026, during the 2026 Annual Educational Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. - Vanessa Hoffman, MBA, ODS-C received the Distinguished Member Award. - Amanda Schafranek, ODS-C received the April Fritz Outstanding New Professional Award. - NCRA also announced the 2025 Journal of Registry Management Best Paper and Honorable Mention winners. - The JRM awards were sponsored by Elekta.

The details: - The NCRA Awards Program was established in 1987 to recognize contributions to the cancer registry profession and the association. - The Distinguished Member Award honors an NCRA member for outstanding contributions to the profession and for advancing public awareness of the profession’s scope and importance. - Hoffman was recognized for national and state leadership, committee service, education, mentorship, advocacy and scholarly contribution. - Hoffman served as NCRA president from 2022 to 2023. - Hoffman also served as High Level Strategic Group Liaison from 2024 to the present, GPEC Chair and member from 2024 to the present, Advocacy Technology & Practice Board Director East from 2017 to 2021, Technical Advisory Liaison from 2023 to 2024, CoC Surveillance Partner from 2023 to 2024 and Education Program Chair from 2016 to 2017. - Hoffman served on more than eight committees and has been active with the Tumor Registrars Association of Maryland. - The April Fritz Outstanding New Professional Award recognizes new NCRA members who have made a significant contribution to the cancer registry profession. - NCRA requires the nomination for that award to be made within five years of earning the ODS credential. - Schafranek was recognized for building trust across teams and client environments, leading with clarity and practical innovation. - Schafranek also was recognized for mentorship, outreach and national service. - Schafranek serves as an Education Board Director and participates in education-focused advisory work connected to cancer registry management training. - The 2025 JRM Best Paper was “Trends in Early-Onset and Late-Onset Colorectal Cancer by Subtype in New York State, 1976-2022.” - The paper’s authors are Rakkoo Chung PhD, Margaret Gates Kuliszewski ScD and Tabassum Insaf PhD, MPH, MBBS. - The 2025 JRM Honorable Mention was “The Effect of Persistent Poverty on Cancer Outcomes in California.” - The Honorable Mention authors are Frances B. Maguire PhD, MPH; Ani S. Movsisyan Vernon PhD, MS, MPH; Brenda M. Hofer MS; Arti Parikh-Patel PhD, MPH; Theodore Wun MD, FACP; Shehnaz K. Hussain PhD, ScM; and Theresa H. M. Keegan PhD, MS. - Best Paper selections are made by a committee that reviews each original article published in JRM during the 2025 publication calendar. - Reviewers used criteria that the paper must add to knowledge about medical registry work and address registry theory, practice or management, professional development, or collection, quality review, reporting and use of registry data.

Between the lines: - The recognition of both senior and early-career members suggests NCRA is trying to reinforce leadership continuity across the profession. - The journal awards show the association values research that links registry work to real-world cancer data and outcomes. - The range of roles cited for Hoffman and Schafranek reflects how NCRA appears to reward both governance and hands-on professional development.

What's next: - NCRA will continue to use its annual conference and awards program to spotlight members and research that advance cancer registry practice. - The 2025 JRM winners add to the association’s published record of studies on cancer trends, poverty and outcomes.

The bottom line: - NCRA’s 2026 awards framed cancer registry work as both a technical discipline and a leadership pipeline, with member service and research treated as equally central.