To support cancer control efforts, the National Program of Cancer Registries was established to enhance or develop cancer registries in every state. But there is an alternative. State cancer control programs could be adequately planned and evaluated without a cancer registry, and federal support of cancer registration could be selectively provided to registries that provide data needed to monitor cancer incidence and survival for the nation or that serve as a resource for population-based etiologic and cancer control research. The funds saved could be redirected to support the continued collection of high-quality cancer incidence and survival data for the nation as such efforts become more costly and complex in the future, and to expand support of population-based cancer research efforts.