The Department of Health Services must administer a program of epidemiological assessments of the incidence of cancer. The director must analyze incidence data, prepare reports, and perform studies to identify cancer hazards.
The Department of Health services may designate parts of the state as cancer incidence reporting areas and establish regional cancer registries. The registries must provide designated cancer incidence data to the Department.
The director must designate cancer as a disease that must be reported in reporting areas. All cases of cancer in the reporting area must be reported to the department's designated representative.
Any hospital or facility providing therapy to cancer patients within a designated cancer reporting area shall report each case of cancer to the department. If a hospital or facility fails to properly report cases, a department representative may access the information from the hospital or facility and report the information. Any health care practitioner diagnosing or treating cancer in a designated cancer reporting area shall report each cancer case to the department except for cases referred or previously admitted to a treatment facility.
All facilities, agencies, and persons providing diagnostic or treatment services to patients with cancer shall allow the department or their authorized representative to access all records that would identify cases of cancer, establish characteristics of cancer, establish treatment of cancer, or establish the medical status of an identified cancer patient.
Confidential information collected in the cancer incidence reporting system shall not be available for subpoena, disclosed, discoverable or compelled to be produce in any proceeding. Confidential information shall not be admissible as evidence in any court for any reason.
Any entity funded by the Breast Cancer Control Program shall collect data and maintain records that are determined by the State Department of Public Health to be necessary to facilitate the state department's ability to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the entities and the program. Commencing with the program's second year of operation, the State Department of Public Health shall submit an annual report to the Legislature and any other appropriate entity.
