First, you should download and read the brochure titled: The Cancer Registry and the Registrar. This brochure is published by the National Cancer Registrar Association. There is a link to this document (pdf) in the "Resources" section at the bottom of this article.
Now that you have a better idea of the job of a Tumor Registrar, you will want to find out if there is a certification process for the positions. For this step, you will download and read the brochure titled: Certification for Cancer Registrars. This brochure is also published by the National Cancer Registrars Association. (Resources)
Next, you will want to find out how to receive training to become a Tumor Registrar. This time you will want to visit the "Education" section of the National Cancer Registrars Association homepage (link in "Resources"). From there you will be able to view all of the accredited school programs which will allow you to sit for the certification exam.
Once you are viewing the accredited Tumor Registrar programs, you should click on a couple of the links of the different schools in order to get a feel for their curriculum.
Next, you will want to get information on the salary you can expect to earn as a Tumor Registrar. According to the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the profession's salary is between $30 - $35,000 per year. Another source, Salary.com, puts the salary at around $38,000 annually. The BLS information is about six years old, so Salary.com's more recent figures seem justifiable. Links to both salary quotes are included in the "Resources" section below.
Finally, you should contact your local area hospitals and cancer treatment centers. Get as much information as you can about their cancer registry, and the employment of Tumor Registrars. If it seems like this is a career that you would really like to pursue, you should seriously think about trained to perform the job. If there is no school near you, you should realize that a couple of the programs listed on the National Cancer Registrars Association Education homepage can be completed entirely online.