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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="18-204" title_number="18" title_name="Disease Prevention" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Reports; Preventive Actions">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Cancer report” means a 1–time abstract of the medical record of a patient diagnosed or treated for cancer or a central nervous system tumor which contains:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Reasonably obtained patient demographic information, including risk factors;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Relevant information on the:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Initial histologically precise diagnosis;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Initial treatment;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Extent of the disease by the end of the first hospitalization; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Extent of the disease within 2 months of diagnosis if the information is available to the reporting facility and the reporting facility has a tumor registry; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Facility and other provider identification information.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Central nervous system tumor” means, irrespective of histologic type or behavior, a primary tumor in the following sites:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The brain;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The caudea equina;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>A cranial nerve;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>The craniopharyngeal duct;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>The meninges;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>The pineal gland;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="7">
          <text>The pituitary gland; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="8">
          <text>The spinal cord.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Central nervous system tumor” includes a primary intracranial tumor.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Freestanding ambulatory care facility” has the meaning stated in § 19–3B–01 of this article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Each hospital that has care of a patient with cancer or a central nervous system tumor, each freestanding laboratory, freestanding ambulatory care facility, or therapeutic radiological center that has care of or has diagnosed cancer or a central nervous system tumor for a nonhospitalized patient, and each physician who has care of or has diagnosed cancer or a central nervous system tumor for a nonhospitalized patient not otherwise reported shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <level label="1">
          <text>Submit a cancer report to the Secretary, on the form that the Secretary provides or in a computerized file;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Make available to the Secretary, or an agent of the Secretary, at the facility the information necessary to compile a cancer report; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Enter into an agreement with a hospital or other facility or agency that agrees to report to the Maryland Cancer Registry to act as the reporting source for a cancer or central nervous system tumor patient who has been referred to or from that facility, or reported to that agency with regard to cancer or central nervous system tumor screening, diagnosis, or treatment; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Effective July 1, 1993, submit a cancer report in a computerized file on a quarterly basis to the Secretary, or an agent of the Secretary, for all patients initially diagnosed, treated, or admitted to a facility for cancer or a central nervous system tumor during that calendar quarter.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>To assure compliance with this section, the Secretary, or an agent of the Secretary, may inspect upon reasonable notice a representative sample of the medical records of patients diagnosed, treated, or admitted for cancer or a central nervous system tumor at the facility.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Information obtained under this subsection shall be confidential and subject to Title 4, Subtitle 1 of this article.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>This subsection does not apply to a disclosure by the Secretary to another governmental agency performing its lawful duties pursuant to State or federal law where the Secretary determines that the agency to whom the information is disclosed will maintain the confidentiality of the disclosure.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A cancer report is not a medical record under Title 4, Subtitle 3 of this article, but is subject to the confidentiality requirements of Title 4, Subtitle 1 of this article.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Each hospital, freestanding laboratory, freestanding ambulatory care facility, therapeutic radiological center, or physician who in good faith submits a cancer report to the Secretary is not liable in any cause of action arising from the submission of the report.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The Secretary, after consultation with the Cancer Registry Advisory Committee, the Maryland Hospital Association, and representatives of freestanding laboratories and therapeutic radiological centers, shall adopt regulations to implement the requirements of this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
