(a) There is established within the Department of Health under the division of and supervision of the Virgin Islands Chronic Disease Prevention Program, the Virgin Islands Central Cancer Registry. The Registry serves as the territorial surveillance system and repository of cancer data that includes data regarding incidence, mortality, stage of the disease, risk factors and exposures to hazardous substances in the workplace or environment.
(b) To accomplish its mandate, the Registry is responsible for collecting information on all reportable neoplasms for which a diagnosis of, or the first course of treatment of, reportable cancer was performed in the Territory, independent of patient’s residence.
(c) The Registry shall establish and regularly convene an advisory committee to assist in building consensus, cooperation, and planning for the Program. Representation on the advisory committee includes, but is not limited to representatives from the cancer prevention and control field; chronic disease programs; hospitals, clinicians, and cancer oriented health educators, epidemiologists and statisticians.
(d) The Registry shall train and certify personnel designated by the reporting entities as persons responsible for reporting information to the Registry.
(e) The Health Commissioner shall promulgate administrative guidelines as may be amended from time to time to ensure that the Registry performs its mandate consistent with federal guidelines of central cancer registries standard-setting organizations.