Abstract Plus

Overview

Abstract Plus summarizes medical records into an electronic report of cancer diagnosis and treatment. It supports the abstraction of all data items in national standard data sets, including all text fields, as well as any state-specific data items. Its output is an electronic abstract in the format of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) data exchange layout.

Customization. Central cancer registries can customize Abstract Plus to be used centrally, as well as by hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and other cancer data sources.

Clients should not make any changes (additions, modifications, deletions) to the database schema objects without written approval from CDC. If you are interested in making changes to database tables, please contact the Registry Plus team.

Ease of use. Abstracts entered into Abstract Plus are validated by customizable edits, allowing for interactive error correction while abstracting. Its user-friendly abstracting interface includes direct grid entry of coded values, allowing for a more streamlined abstracting experience, as well as easier viewing of text fields, online help, and edit errors.

Security features. Abstract Plus has robust security features including user roles and challenge questions as well as passwords. All records are saved in Microsoft® Access and all tables are password-protected and encrypted.

Selected features

Abstract Plus version 7.0, compliant with NAACCR version 24, supports coding TNM staging according to the manual of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). The generic version of Abstract Plus available from this website does not contain AJCC content subject to licensing. The picklists for TNM data items include site-specific codes but not associated descriptions. A version of Abstract Plus that includes the licensed content is made available only to registries funded by CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries.

• Direct grid entry of coded values for streamlined abstracting.
• Easier viewing of text fields, online help, and edit errors.
• New display type feature:
  • Any field can be included in a display type, and can be assigned customized labels and default values and ordered into sections.
  • Multiple display types are allowed to accommodate abstracting by various types of cancer reporting facilities.
• The NAACCR data item name, EDITS error count and status, date, and UserID are displayed for the selected field in bottom panel.
• Configuration remains active until another is selected.
• Reports can be saved in more file formats, including images.

System requirements

Registry Plus programs work with 32- and 64-bit Microsoft® Windows® operating systems. Additional system requirements include:

• Microsoft operating system: Windows 10 or later, Windows Server 2012R2 or newer.
• Memory (RAM):
  • 4 gigabytes (GB) RAM (32-bit computer).
  • 8 GB RAM (64-bit computer).
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or newer.
• The available hard disk space requirement for Abstract Plus depends on the number of abstracts that will be used. A minimum of 100 MB of free hard drive space is required.

Installing and upgrading Abstract Plus

Please contact cancerinformatics@cdc.gov for specific guidance.

Suggested citation

Abstract Plus version {insert version number, e.g., 6.0} software [downloaded from Internet] for abstracting and coding cancer registry cases; part of the Registry Plus suite of publicly available software programs. Atlanta (GA): US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Available from: www.cdc.gov/national-program-cancer-registries/registry-plus/abstract-plus.html. Accessed {insert download month/day/year}.