NCEH now provides a centralized coordinated response system for cancer cluster inquiries received by the CDC.
In 2001, NCEH conducted a survey to assess state protocols for responding to cancer cluster inquiries and state criteria for conducting investigations.
The many similarities across states in their efforts to respond to cancer cluster inquiries create the opportunity for state and federal agencies to better coordinate their efforts.
Responses to cluster inquiries include addressing community concerns, providing community education, and informing the community about the progress of investigations and/or exposure assessments.
Although many state health departments in the United States routinely evaluate data in response to cluster inquiries, none currently has a comparable system dedicated to such activities.
In 2002, NCEH initiated a centralized inquiry system within the CDC, the Cancer Cluster Public Inquiry Triage System (CCPITS; CDC 2004) for responding to cancer cluster inquiries from various audiences such as individual citizens, state health departments, and other federal agencies.
Currently, to address both the needs of state health departments as well as public concern, the CDC now a) provides a centralized, coordinated response system for cancer cluster inquiries, b) supports an electronic cancer cluster listserver, c) maintains an informative web page, and d) provides support to states, ranging from laboratory analysis to epidemiologic assistance and expertise.
We used the robust option to allow for clustering of inquiry outcomes by doctor.
Among the 10 competences remaining at the lowest level, the five common to both cohorts were related to the systematic inquiry cluster (2.11: "assesses validity of data"; 2.20: "conducts meta-evaluations"); situation analysis (3.5: "addresses conflicts") and project management (4.1: "responds to requests for proposals"; 4.3: "writes formal agreements").
In 2000, representatives from the CDC Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), ATSDR, and NCEH met and recognized the importance of a centrally coordinated cancer cluster response to inquiries within the CDC.
