The Commission on Cancer (CoC) has defined the following steps to help guide your cancer program toward CoC Approval. We are here to help as your facility works toward this level of program recognition. As you step through this process, please refer your questions to Karen Stachon, Cancer Program Advisor, at 312-202-5191 or kstachon@facs.org.

• Complete the New Program Information and Facility Record Activation Form. Notify the CoC of your cancer program’s interest in pursuing Approval and to receive key communications from the CoC. This document can be found on the CoC’s Web site or in the New Program Kit.
• Make the decision to seek CoC Approval. Have the board of directors, facility administration, medical staff, task force or committee review the CoC’s Cancer Program Standards 2004, Revised Edition.
• Coordinate a visit by a CoC Ambassador. This individual can speak with administration and the medical staff about the benefits of CoC Approval. If interested, contact Karen Stachon.
• Establish a cancer registry. It must have two years of data as well as one year of successful patient follow-up using CoC standards and current coding instructions to describe all reportable cases.
• Form a cancer committee. Establish a meeting schedule and appoint a member responsible for developing the agenda and recording minutes and other deliberations.
• Develop a checklist. Monitor required documentation and track compliance for all 36 standards.
• Appoint a Cancer Liaison Physician (CLP) to act as physician champion—providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain, and support their facility’s cancer program. An application can be found on the CoC’s Web site at www.facs.org/cancer/coc/clpapplication.pdf.
• Access the CoC Web site. Find tools, resources, and best practices designed to assist your program with standards’ compliance at www.facs.org/cancer.
• Consider a consultative evaluation. Performed by a CoC-trained Independent Cancer Program Consultant or other cancer registry professional, the consultation will advise your facility on how to establish a cancer program and/or work toward compliance with the standards. This can be done at any stage during the development of your cancer program. A list of CoC-trained Independent Cancer Program Consultants can be found at www.facs.org/cancer/ctrconsultant.html.
• Undergo a “mock survey.” A consultant can thoroughly evaluate your cancer program, rate compliance with each standard, and define areas for improvement prior to an initial CoC survey. Use either a CoC-trained Independent Cancer Consultant or other cancer registry professional for this requirement.
• CoC staff will review the consult results and consider cancer program readiness for CoC survey.
• Sign the HIPAA Business Associate Agreement and complete key information required for survey to include contact staff and the Survey Application Record (SAR), as well as submit data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). In preparation for initial survey, your program is provided access to the CoC Datalinks database.
• Define the timeline for survey. The CoC will work with your cancer program to match it with a physician surveyor. Shortly thereafter, the physician surveyor will contact your cancer program to negotiate a date for survey and plan the visit.
• Submit the survey fee. The CoC will invoice your program the month the survey is scheduled and your program will have 30 days to remit payment.
• Following the survey visit, the surveyor will submit their findings to the CoC. CoC staff will perform a second evaluation and prepare a performance report with the survey results to be sent to your cancer program 8-10 weeks following the survey.
• The CoC monitors cancer program activity and compliance with the standards on an ongoing basis between the three-year survey cycles. During the annual update period, cancer programs are requested to report current activity through the Survey Application Record (SAR).

Resources for Cancer Programs