The Commission on Cancer (CoC) announces the “Call for Abstracts” for the 2008 Paper Competition.

Eligibility

The competition is open to general surgery residents, surgical specialty residents, sub-specialty residents, and oncology fellows in the United States. To be eligible for competition at the national level, papers submitted may have been presented previously but not published before October 1, 2008.

Submission

The paper must be submitted to the CoC Office to the attention of Carolyn Jones by March 15, 2008.

Scope

The papers should describe original research in cancer care in either: 1) basic laboratory research, 2) clinical investigation, or 3) quality of care/health services research. 

Timeline for Abstract Submission

Residents or cancer fellows should submit a structured abstract to the CoC Office by March 15, 2008. CoC State Chairs will review the submitted abstracts by Region. The first place winner from each of the 10 Regions will move on to a national competition. The CoC will work with the respective State Chair(s) of the first, second, and third place regional winners to be considered for presentation at the next meeting of their respective American College of Surgeons Chapter. A list of each Region and the respective State Chair(s) is available on our Web site (85K PDF).

The CoC will coordinate the regional review process between March 15 and July 15, 2008. Regional winners will be determined by July 15 and the first place winners will be included in the national competition. A panel of judges comprised of members of the CoC’s Committee on Cancer Liaison will rank the final group of abstracts and select the first, second, and third place winners of the national competition by August 15, 2008. Each winner will be notified shortly thereafter. 

2008 Cancer Paper Competition Announcement	11/1/07
Abstract Submission Deadline to CoC	3/15/08
CoC State Chair Regional Review, Selection, and Notification	3/15/08 – 7/15/08
National Winners Selection and Notification	8/15/08
National Winner Presentation	10/12/08

Specifications for Preparation and Submission of Abstracts

• There is a 250-maximum word limit with the option to include a table or figure (table or figure does not count against word count).
• Abstracts must contain the following information: (1) succinct title of the paper; (2) full names and affiliations for all authors; and (3) full mailing and e-mail addresses, telephone, and fax numbers of the corresponding author. Abstracts must be formatted with the following headings: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
• The abstract must be submitted via e-mail to Carolyn Jones at cjones@facs.org.

Awards and Paper Presentation

The first place winner of the national competition will receive a $1,000 award and have their hotel (two days) and coach airfare, plus expenses, paid to attend the Annual Meeting of the Commission on Cancer in October 2008 in San Francisco, CA. The first place paper will be presented at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 12, 2008. 

The second and third place winners will receive a $500 award and have their hotel (two days) and coach airfare, plus expenses, paid to attend the Annual Meeting of the Commission on Cancer in October 2008 in San Francisco, CA. The second and third place winners will be recognized at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 12, 2008. 

The competition has been funded by the Commission on Cancer and by a memorial gift from Mrs. A. Lee Campione in honor of her late husband, Matthew P. Campione, MD, FACS. 

For information concerning the CoC Paper Competition, please contact the CoC Office at 312-202-5183 or cjones@facs.org. 

American College of Surgeons
Commission on Cancer
c/o Carolyn Jones
633 North Saint Clair Street
Chicago, IL  60611-3211
Phone:  312-202-5183
Fax:  312-202-5009
E-Mail:  cjones@facs.org

 

Revised February 8, 2008