CoC Annual Meetings Scheduled during 2009 ACS Clinical Congress

Reminder invitations for the CoC Annual Meetings were distributed via e-mail on Friday, August 14 to CoC members, State Chairs, and Cancer Liaison Physicians. The meetings will be held at the Hilton and Hyatt Hotels in Chicago. If you were expecting an invitation and did not receive one, please contact coc2009@facs.org before September 1. Additional details will be shared with registrants in September.

Please note we added a new meeting to the schedule on Sunday, October 11. The session is a Member Organization Representatives Breakfast Meeting (for CoC members representing member organizations), from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. If you have already registered for the meetings, please send a quick e-mail to Andréa Scrementi at ascrementi@facs.org, letting her know if you will be attending this meeting. She can add it to your registration.

CoC Annual Meetings Schedule

Sunday October 11, 2009

7:00-8:30 am New CoC State Chair Orientation*
9:00 am-12:00 pm CoC State Chair Town Hall Meeting*
10:00 am-12:00 pm CoC Member Organization Representatives Meeting***
12:00 pm- 2:30 pm CoC Executive Committee Meeting**
3:00-5:00 pm CoC Annual Meeting
5:00-6:30 pm CoC Reception

Monday October 12, 2009

7:00-8:30 am Cancer Liaison Program Meeting

*These meetings are for State Chairs only
**This meeting is for Executive Committee Members only
***This meeting is for Member Organization Representatives only

CoC-Sponsored General Sessions at ACS Clinical Congress

The following CoC-sponsored general sessions are included in the surgical oncology track and will take place at McCormick Place. Review the Clinical Congress Web site for additional details andexact locations at http://www.facs.org/clincon2009/index.html.

Management of the Axilla in Breast Cancer
Monday, October 12, 2:30- 4:00 pm
Moderator: David J. Winchester, MD, FACS, Evanston, IL
Co-Moderator: Nora Jaskowiak, MD, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Advances in Cancer Staging: An Interactive Session
Tuesday, October 13, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Moderator: Frederick L. Greene, MD, FACS, Charlotte, NC
Co-Moderator: Roger Perry, MD, Eastern Virginia School of Medicine in Norfolk, VA.

Challenging Cases in Surgical Oncology
Tuesday, October 13, 2:30- 4:00 pm
Moderator: Michael P. Vezeridis, MD, FACS. Professor of Surgery, Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-moderator: Thomas J. Miner, MD, FACS. Assistant Professor of Surgery, Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Cancer Survivor Follow-up: Is Your Clinical Practice Evidence-based?
Wednesday, October 14, 9:45-11:15 am
Moderator: Diana Dickson-Witmer, MD, FACS, Wilmington, DE
Co-Moderator: Joseph J. Bennett, MD

The 2009 Commission on Cancer Oncology Lecture will be presented on Wednesday, October 14, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm by Nicholas J. Petrelli, MD, FACS. Dr. Petrelli is past president of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the Bank of America-endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, DE. Dr. Petrelli’s lecture is entitled A Community Cancer Center Program: Getting to the Next Level.

Survey Application Record (SAR) Annual Update Reminder

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) monitors several standards as part of the Survey Application Record (SAR) Annual Update process. This monitoring process serves as a method to gather information on CoC-accredited cancer program activity, and will enable the CoC to provide summary comparison data to all accredited cancer programs, the CoC Accreditation Committee, and other constituent groups. An initial e-mail notification describing the SAR Annual Update process was sent to all accredited programs on June 26, 2009.

The Annual Update is active from July 1, 2009, through September 30, 2009.

The CoC requests that your cancer program complete or update 2008 program activity and information in your facility or network’s SAR for the following report and fields within the specified standards:

• Standard 4.4 (Summary of Oncology Nursing Services table—2008)
• Standard 4.6 (Format of Pathology Reports field)
• Standard 5.2 (Clinical Trial Accrual—2008)
• The Cancer Liaison Physician Activity Report

Please note that programs scheduled for survey or that have been surveyed this year (2009) will NOT be required to participate in the Annual Update because this information is already recorded as part of the survey preparation process.

Questions about the SAR or SAR Annual Update should be submitted to SAR@facs.org. Questions regarding your CoC Datalinks user ID and password should be submitted to CoCDatalinks@facs.org.

Commission Plans to Go Green

The Commission on Cancer is going green in 2010. Plans are underway to decrease the survey preparation workload for cancer program staff by lessening the amount of copying and mailing of survey documentation. Starting with 2010 surveys, programs will be asked to upload electronic documents (minutes, policies and procedures, studies, and so on) through a new page that will be added to the Survey Application Record (SAR). We are currently pilot testing this process with selected programs being surveyed this year. We also plan to use the same method to receive documentation for both appeals and deficiency resolution.

Please look to the monthly CoC Flash for future information on this new method for going green.

NCDB Call for Data Opens September 1

The 20th annual NCDB Call for Data opens for submission on September 1, 2009. Detailed information for participating in the Call for Data is available at http://www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/datasubmission.html.

The Webinar, Preparing for This Year’s NCDB Call for Data, can be seen on-demand at any time. Register at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html.

The Webinar is particularly recommended for registrars submitting data to NCDB for the first time, registrars who may have had problems submitting data or resolving edit errors during the past year or two, and registrars interested in finding out what is new this year.

Questions regarding the Call for Data should be directed to Anna Delev at adelev@facs.org or 312-202-5339.

NCDB Staff Arrivals and Departures

The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) is pleased to announce a new member of the NCDB team. Erica Smith joined the NCDB August 10, 2009 as a Quality Improvement Information Analyst.

Erica graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, where she earned the distinction of being selected as a member of Delta Omega, the national Public Health Honor Society. She previously worked as the Research Project Professional at the University of Chicago, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where among her many duties she completed a systemic review of ovarian cancer treatment and survival disparities, a study that is in press at the Journal of Cancer Causes and Control. Erica also has assisted in publishing other manuscripts and presented project findings at national meetings.

As a Quality Improvement Information Analyst, she joins Bryan Palis and Kathy Mallin, all of whom are responsible for serving as analytic staff on research studies requested by the Quality Integration Committee of the Commission on Cancer (CoC), other researchers utilizing the NCDB, and providing analytical support for the analytic requests submitted by the CoC-accredited hospitals.

Erica can be reached via e-mail at esmith@facs.org or by telephone at 312/202-5194. Welcome Erica!

After 13 years of service to the American College of Surgeons, Sue Slater is leaving the NCDB. During her tenure with the NCDB, she provided a series of support functions. Most recently among these has been her dedicated coordination of the inquiries and responses handled by the I&R team and her systematic assistance with the review of Standard 3.7and 3.8 ratings. Her good humor and eagerness to be of assistance at every turn will be sorely missed. Her last day with us is Friday, August 28, 2009. We extend our warmest and best wishes as she pursues new interests.

State Chair Outstanding Performance Awards Announced

Please join the Commission on Cancer in congratulating three State Chairs for their outstanding performance in 2008. The State Chair Outstanding Performance Award recognizes individuals who provide extensive leadership and support to their physician volunteers and cancer programs in the state. They are collaborators, innovators, and experts working with cancer programs, professionals, and state coalitions to improve the quality of cancer care. This honor is awarded to individuals who exhibit excellence in the following areas:

• Consistent and Innovative Communication Methods Used for Maintaining Relationships with the Cancer Liaison Physicians
• Support and Initiation of Commission on Cancer Activities at the State and Regional Level
• Collaboration with American College of Surgeons Chapter, American Cancer Society (ACS), and Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalitions

The leadership of these State Chairs has set an excellent example for all, and the Commission on Cancer thanks these three outstanding State Chairs for their guidance and direction provided in 2008. An award ceremony will take place at the Cancer Liaison Program Breakfast at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress on October 12, 2009.

Outstanding Performance Award Winners:

Daniel P. McKellar, MD, FACS, Good Samaritan, Dayton, OH
James J. Hamilton, Jr., MD, FACS, St. Francis Health Center, Topeka, KS
Mary Milroy, MD, FACS, Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD

Commission on Cancer Paper Competition Winners Announced

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) proudly announces the three winners of the 2009 Commission on Cancer Paper Competition. Announced in January, 2009, this competition was open to general surgery residents, surgical specialty residents, sub-specialty residents, and oncology fellows in the US. Fifty-seven abstracts were submitted describing original research in cancer care in either (1) basic laboratory systems, (2) clinical investigation, or (3) quality of care/health services research. The following three winners were selected:

1st Place
Rahul R. Parikh, MD
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
New Ductal Carcinoma in Situ with Microinvasion: Prognostic Implications, Long-term Outcomes, and Role of Axillary Evaluation

2nd Place
Amir A. Ghaferi, MD
University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI
Prognostic Significance of a Positive Non-Sentinel Lymph Node in Cutaneous Melanoma

3rd Place
Erin C. Farlow, MD
Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
The use of Tumor-specific Auto-antibodies as a Possible Early Detection Screening Tool for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Dr. Parikh has been invited to speak at the Sunday, October 11, CoC Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.

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

The next call for abstracts for the 2009 Commission on Cancer Paper Competition will be released in November.

NewsCLiPs: News for Cancer Liaison Physicians

Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award Winners Announced

Please join the Commission on Cancer in congratulating the following Cancer Liaison Physicians who were presented with the Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award for their outstanding performance in 2008!

This award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond the regular scope of their duties. Cancer Liaison Physicians were nominated for excellence in the following area(s):

• Improving the quality of care delivered at a CoC-approved facility

• Contributing to the accreditation status of the cancer program

• Exceeding expectations of the Cancer Liaison Physician to strengthen the cancer program

• Demonstrating cancer control leadership in the community

• Serving as a champion and role model for other staff

Peter Blumencranz, MD
Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater, FL

Alphonse Pecoraro Jr., MD, FACS
Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach, FL

Luis Franco, MD
Watson Clinic LLP, Lakeland, FL

Daniel O. Cuscela, DO
Parish Medical Center, Titusville, FL

Toncred Marya Styblo, MD, FACS
Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA

Miles Mason III, MD, FACS
Gwinnett Hospital System, Lawrenceville, GA

James MacDonald, MD
Tift Regional Medical Center, Tifton, GA

Jeffrey Wayne, MD, FACS
Northwestern Memorial Healthcare Corporation, Chicago, IL

Mala Vohra, MD
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Yagnesh V. Oza, MD
Good Samaritan Regional Health Center, Mount Vernon, IL

James V. Piephoff, MD
Saint Anthony’s Health Center, Alton, IL

Julie McCay, MD, FCAP
The Medical Center at Bowling Green, Bowling Green, KY

Mary Jane Houlihan, MD
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA

Mehran Habibi, MD
John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD

Stephen Mann, MD
Unity Hospital, Fridley, MN

Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Michael J. Snyder, MD, FACS
St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences, Missoula, MT

Ronald Newton Locke, MD, FACS
Catawba Valley Medical Center, Hickory, NC

Cynthia A. Kocsis, MD
Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Freehold, NJ

Aaron Chevinsky, MD, FACS
Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown, NJ

John David Cunningham, MD, FACS
Overlook Hospital, Berkeley Heights, NJ

Brian Newman, MD, FACS
Newton Memorial Hospital, Newton, NJ

Patricia Joseph, MD, FACS
Holy Name Hospital, Englewood, NJ

Stanley Weiss, MD, FACS
UMDNJ University Hospital, Newark, NJ

Shahriyour Andaz, MD, FACS
South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside, NY

Erik Lichtenberger, MD, FACS
Summa Health System, Akron, OH

Bradley A. Kramer, MD
Sky Lakes Medical Center, Klamath Falls, OR

Mary Lou Patton, MD, FACS
Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Upland, PA

Adam Berger, MD
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

Rachelle Lanciano, MD
Delaware County Memorial Hospital, Drexel Hill, PA

Andrew Zahalsky, MD
Monongahela Valley Hospital, Monongahela, PA

Matthew T. Janzow, MD, FACS
Citizens Medical Center, Victoria, TX

Rick Q. Ngo, MD, FACS
Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital, Houston, TX

Michael Peyser, MD
Riverside Regional Medical Center, Newport News, VA

Tanya Wahl, MD
Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Bellevue, WA

Charles Cheng, MD, FACS
Theda Care Hospitals, Appleton, WI

No More NewsCLiPs

The Cancer Liaison Program’s newsletter, NewsCLiPs will no longer be published. Instead, important news for the Cancer Liaison Program will be published monthly right here in the CoC Flash. Watch the Cancer Liaison Program section of Flash for important news about upcoming meetings, new State Chair appointments, announcements about Web site postings to the Cancer Liaison and State Chair Information Boards, and other important Cancer Liaison Program news.

New State Chair Appointments

There are no new state chair appointments this month.

Information Boards Updated on the Web

New Cancer Liaison Program Web Pages Launched

Visit http://www.facs.org/cancer/ and navigate through Accreditation and the Cancer Liaison Program to three sections:

• About Cancer Liaison Program

In this section you will read about the Cancer Liaison Program and it’s framework including the role of the Cancer Liaison Physician (CLP) and program leadership.

• A State Chair Information Board contains useful information for and about State Chairs including the State Chair Toolkit, a complete list of State Chairs, past State Chair Outstanding Performance award winners, a link to American College of Surgeons chapter information, and copies of recent State Chair newsletters.

• The Cancer Liaison Physician Information Board contains the appointment application, web conference schedules, past award winners, copies of recent Cancer Liaison Program newsletters, and American Cancer Society and Comprehensive Cancer Control resources.

CoC Online Education Portal Updates

Two new registration and viewing options for live Webinars are now available:

1) Group View – In the Group View, a team can now meet and view a Webinar together, as a single group. In addition, up to 10 participants, per group, can log in individually to fill out an evaluation form, and receive their certificate for CE credit after the Webinar has been viewed. Log in instructions for the evaluation form will be sent to the purchaser to distribute to the group. The Group View option is $250 per group.

2) Multiple “Single Viewer” Purchase – In this option, a single purchaser can now register more than one individual for a Webinar in a single purchase. Therefore, your office manager can now purchase Webinars for the entire office, in a single transaction, using one check or credit card. Log in instructions will be sent to the purchaser to distribute to each individual viewer after payment has been processed. The fee for this option remains at $50 per participant, per Webinar.

To register for a Webinar using one of the new options, please visit the 2009 CoC Online Education Portal at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html.

Upcoming CoC Webinars

Optimizing Cancer Program Activities to Meet Multiple Standards, will take place on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 11:00 AM EDT, 10:00 AM CDT, 9:00 AM MDT, 8:00 AM PDT. This program will last 60 minutes.

Course Overview: The presentation will examine how the requirements for many standards overlap multiple areas and will describe how to structure activities so that one project can be used to comply with several standards.

Target Audience: Cancer program administrators, cancer committee chairs, cancer liaison physicians, and cancer registrars.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:

• Describe how and why standards are interrelated
• Plan activities and projects that will take advantage of the overlap of requirements
• Identify additional areas of crossover in their own programs and structure activities to capitalize on relationships

Presenters:
M. Asa Carter, CTR

Register for both live and on-demand Webinars at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html.

What’s New for FORDS in 2010? will take place Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 11:00 AM EST, 10:00 AM CST, 9:00 AM MST, 8:00 AM PST. This program will last 60 minutes.

Course Overview: This presentation will describe new and revised items in Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards Revised for 2010 (FORDS) and changes in data requirements to be implemented January 1, 2010, along with the reasons for those changes. Although reference to CS and AJCC changes will be included, this presentation is not intended to provide coding instructions for those manuals.

Target Audience: Registrars, abstractors, registry managers and potential data users in CoC programs.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this presentation, participants will:

• Understand how changes in registry data coding and requirements are made.
• Be able to code the new and revised FORDS items.
• Be able to apply the revised Class of Case codes.
• Understand how CoC will define "Date Case Completed."
• Know which AJCC and CS data items must be abstracted in CoC approved programs, when, and why.
• Know how to locate and use NAACCR's Implementation Guidelines for 2010.

Presenter:
Jerri Linn Phillips, MA, CTR

Register for both live and on-demand Webinars at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html.

On-Demand Webinars Now Available

Take advantage of our On-Demand feature and register for immediate viewing of the Webinars below. All live Webinars are recorded and available as On-Demand Webinars approximately three days after the live Webinar event takes place.

On-Demand Webinars archived from live August 2009 CoC Online Education now available

• Preparing For Survey While Making Your Survey Go Green
• Preparing For This Year's NCDB Call For Data
• Debunking Urban Legends in Staging
  

Register for both live and On-demand Webinars at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html.

Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Series – Available On-Demand

The Stereotactic Breast Biopsy series is now available through the On-Demand Webinar feature. This four-part series of presentations is intended to provide physicians with the knowledge necessary to meet the Initial Qualifications requirement for the ACS Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Accreditation Program (established by the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Radiology). Completion of a post-test with 100 percent accuracy is required to earn CME for this program. Each part is eligible for 1 hour CME credit, with a total of 4 CME for the series.

Part I
Radiation Dose, Risk and Safety for Surgeons: Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Medical Radiation Physics for Surgeons

Part II
Image Quality in Screen-Film Mammography: Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Medical Radiation Physics for Surgeons

Part III
Digital Imaging for Mammography and Stereotactic Breast Biopsy: Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Medical Radiation Physics for Surgeons

Part IV
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Quality Control for Surgeons: Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Medical Radiation Physics for Surgeons

Register for this series through the 2009 CoC Online Education Portal at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html

Order your new AJCC Cancer Staging Manual or Handbook Today!

Pre-publication orders are currently being taken for the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s Cancer Staging Manual and Handbook. Used by pathologists, surgeons, registrars, and oncologists throughout the world to diagnose cancer and determine the extent to which it has progressed, the manual includes 57 comprehensive site-specific chapters and includes major revisions to many chapters such as breast, colon, prostate, kidney, and others. There are new primary site chapters for extrahepatic bile ducts, distal bile duct, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and the adrenal gland, plus a vastly expanded section on ophthalmologic malignancies.

The AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, priced at $64.95, contains the staging data and a Staging Form for each primary disease site. A CD-ROM with printable Staging Forms is packaged with each manual.
AJCC Cancer Staging Manual http://www.springer.com/978-0-387-88440-0

The AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook, priced at $49.95, contains all the same essential material, without the Staging Forms, and comes in a smaller, convenient format that’s easy to fit in lab coat pockets. AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook http://www.springer.com/978-0-387-88442-4

The Manual and Handbook will be published in early October. Order today!

AJCC Field Study Survey for CSv2 Release

The AJCC has released a Field Study survey in preparation for the release of Collaborative Stage Data Collection System Version 2 (CSv2) effective with 2010 cases. The purpose of the study is to assess the availability of the data in the medical record for the new Site-Specific Factors (SSFs) for select cancer primary sites. The Field Study was distributed last week to all hospital registrars at CoC-accredited programs. The deadline to take the survey is September 15, 2009. Only one survey will be accepted per facility. The link to the survey is below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=lFt31i2WX9u_2f49hayUhK0w_3d_3d

If you have any questions please contact ajcc@facs.org.

CSv2 Speakers Bureau Participants Available for Training Sessions

In July, over 50 people attended the Train the Trainers session for the Collaborative Stage Version 2 Speakers Bureau. At that event, registrar trainers from around the nation were trained to deliver presentations and case exercises that address the new information in Version 2 of the Collaborative Stage Data Collection System. By mid-September, the Speakers Bureau members will be available to offer these training sessions.

Each site-specific training will present:

1. An overview of the CSv2 Manual with emphasis on new changes
2. Explanations for ambiguous terminology
3. Histology Exclusion Groups
4. Advanced abstracting of site-specific factors.

Attendees at these training sessions should walk away with an understanding of the rationale behind changes and updates to Collaborative Stage (CS) and a better understanding of the use of codes. They also should be able to determine the proper use of codes for accurate reporting in CS, and have an improved ability in locating specific documentation relative to site-specific factors (SSFs) within CS.

Speakers Bureau members are available to train on the following sites beginning in September 2009:

Breast Presentation and Exercises
Colorectal Presentation and Exercises
Head and Neck Presentation and Exercises
Prostate and GU Presentation and Exercises
Lung Presentation and Exercises

Continue to watch our Web site at http://www.cancerstaging.org/cstage/education.html for more information, including a list of scheduled presentations and locations, and details on how to locate a Speakers Bureau member for training.

Welcome New AJCC Staff

The AJCC is pleased to announce a new member of the AJCC team. Martin “Marty” Madera joined the AJCC earlier this month in the position of Education Administrator.

Marty has extensive experience in the organization of education and leadership training sessions. He worked previously at the Midwest Latino Health Research Training and Policy Center at the University of Illinois Chicago. There he was the content editor for the Illinois Genetic Public Education Project Web sites and the committee head of the CEED@Chicago Health Literacy Policy Committee.

As Education Administrator, Marty is responsible for administration of all aspects of AJCC education development and delivery related to the 7th Edition and Collaborative Stage.

Marty can be reached via e-mail at mmadera@facs.org or by telephone at 312-202-5287. Welcome Marty!

Upcoming NAPBC Exhibits

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) will be exhibiting at the following meeting in September:

Comprehensive Breast Centers of Excellence Conference
September 30 - October 2
Hyatt Regency Baltimore
Baltimore, MD

If you are attending this meeting, stop by the NAPBC booth to speak with staff and see the new materials the NAPBC has to offer.

NPCR Cyber Cancer Registry Debuts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) has designed and developed a Web-based learning tool. The application, appropriately named the Cyber Cancer Registry, is an interactive virtual registry system for developing and assessing the skills of cancer registry personnel and will allow those new to cancer registration an opportunity to gain hands-on practice in core areas of cancer registry operations.

The Cyber Cancer Registry fulfills NPCR’s core education values:

• Education and training are essential elements in cancer data quality, completeness, and timeliness.
• Educational content must respond to issues identified through data quality assurance activities.
• Education and training must be offered continuously in diverse formats and methods of access.

The Cyber Cancer Registry will be completed in phases and will consist of modules pertaining to the core functions of cancer registration in the hospital and central cancer registry settings. The first module, Casefinding (cancer case identification), is now available at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dcpcccr. This is a virtual hospital setting with casefinding sources that include pathology reports, medical record disease indices, medical discharge logs, radiation oncology logs, and medical oncology logs. Central Cancer Registries may find this application to be a helpful tool in training non-hospital reporters.

The Cyber Cancer Registry mimics the medical database structure and recreates database activities. The framework for the system allows for the addition of other functions (i.e., abstracting cancer cases) in future releases. Actual de-identified medical record source documents submitted by cancer registrars working in the field provide users a simulated registry experience. The medical record documents present varying degrees of difficulty and challenging situations in which coding rules and instructions must be applied. Each module will give immediate feedback to the user through practical exercises and assessments to evaluate the level of competency, track training scores, and provide a certificate of completion for each assessment.

In practice, these modules can be used to enhance the education of cancer registrars and can potentially serve to satisfy part of the clinical practicum for NCRA-approved formal education programs.

The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) is providing subject matter expertise in formal education, hospital and central cancer registry operations, and management. This expertise will be provided through the creation and maintenance of detailed module content, exercises, assessments, and feedback responses.

The Cyber Registry can be accessed through NPCR’s Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/
and via a link from NCRA’s Web site at http://www.ncra-usa.org.

CSv2 Advanced Webinar Series - New Training Program through NCRA!

This brand new training program was developed by NCRA’s Advanced Education Committee and will be taught by some of the industry’s leading trainers, including CSv2 developers. Each Webinar will include approximately 100 minutes of lecture, review of three exercises, and 20 minutes of Q&A. Each Webinar will allow participants to earn 2 CEs. Register for the entire 12-part series by August 28 and receive an instant 30 percent discount!

12 Webinars, September 3, 2009 – March 18, 2010
Individual Webinars are $50 Member rate/$75 Non-Member rate
Learn more about this offer and our speakers:
http://www.ncra-sa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3281#csv2web

Can’t attend NCRA’s CSv2 Live Webinars? NCRA’s CSv2 Advanced Webinars –Archived Versions are now available for pre-order. Click here to order.
www.ncra-usa.org/csv2archived.

NCRA Issues Call For Presentations for 36th Annual Educational Conference

Share your expertise by bringing important information to your fellow registrars at the NCRA 36th Annual Educational Conference, April 20 – 23, 2010, in Palm Springs, CA. All submissions are due on or before Friday, October 30, 2009, at 7:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time. All presenters will be notified as to acceptance into the conference program by December. NCRA is seeking presentation proposals that fall into one or more of the following Core Areas:

•Hot Topics for Registry
•Registry Management Essentials
•Professional Development For New and Not So New Registrars
•Site Specific Workshops
•Data Coding, Coding and Case Finding – Information for a Successful Registry

Complete the proposal information using NCRA’s online submission form: http://ncra.omnicms.com/ncra/2010/collection.cgi

NIH to Host Diagnosis and Management of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) Conference

The NIH Consensus Development Program is convening a state-of-the-science conference to assess the available evidence on the diagnosis and management of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This conference will be held September 22-24, 2009, in the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. A conference statement will be prepared by an independent panel on the basis of a systematic literature review, expert presentations, and audience commentary, which will help shape the research agenda for this complex disease.

It is important that all key stakeholders be represented, as attendees will have the opportunity to participate in engaging discussions that will influence the panel’s statement. This conference is intended for physicians and other health practitioners, healthcare system professionals, health policy specialists, public health experts, researchers, and interested members of the public.

The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.consensus.nih.gov or call 1-888-644-2667.

Simply Electable!

If you or someone you know is interested in making a difference and serving in an elected position with NCRA, then we're looking for you!

NCRA's Nominating Committee seeks candidates to be considered for elected offices, elected Council members, and elected members of the Nominating Committee. Those elected will serve beginning in April 2010. Fill out a nomination application using NCRA’s online form: http://www.ncra-usa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3289