CMR Overview

The Carolina Mammography Registry (CMR) was first funded in 1994 by the Department of Defense to create the infrastructure for a population-based mammography registry, and to serve as a resource for researchers interested in studying the outcomes of community-based screening in North Carolina. Since 1995, CMR has received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study community-based mammography practice, and to function as a member site for the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC). The BCSC is a national registry that combines data from mammography registries in New Hampshire, Vermont, New Mexico, California, Washington, and North Carolina to form a national database. This database creates the opportunity for researchers to study screening mammography on a national level. In addition, data are collected from the NC Central Cancer Registry so that mammography and other breast imaging studies can be linked with cancer outcomes.

Since 1995, CMR has grown tremendously. We currently have over 1,600,000 records in our database for nearly 500,000 women in North Carolina. 54 facilities in North Carolina collaborate with CMR, sharing data through the 29 practices that house their records (see practice map). The data we collect allow us to create studies designed to improve the practice of mammography, help us better understand risk factors for breast cancer, guide future research and interventions, and inform the public.