August 2002
Highlights for the month:
ROADS to FORDS Conversion Tool Kit
The CoC has distributed copies of its ROADS to FORDS Conversion Tool Kit to registry software providers. The tool kit is designed to support the technical development of the tools required to transition registries from ROADS to FORDS. It includes the conversion rules necessary to implement the changes introduced with the publication of FORDS as well as the computerized conversion code which translates NAACCR Volume 9.1 to Volume 10 following the specifications described in the ROADS to FORDS conversion rules. A copy of the executable conversion program as well as the published conversion rules will be available on our Web site.
Highlights
Minor Corrections to FORDS Online
Typographical errors have been identified in the coding instructions for the following FORDS data items: Surgical Margins of the Primary Site (p.137), Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery (p.138), Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery at this Facility (p.140), and Specific Surgery Codes, Appendix B (p.266 and 284). In addition, the site definition for hematopoietic diseases and meninges appearing in the Site-Specific Surgery Codes, Appendix B has been clarified (p.265) and corrected (p.281), respectively. We have revised the appropriate PDF files found on our Web site at http://www.facs.org/dept/cancer/coc/fordsmanual.html. There is also an individual PDF that holds just the corrected pages. If you have already printed or purchased a copy of the FORDS manual, we encourage you to replace the current pages with those found in the PDF with just the corrected pages. For those who have downloaded the manual from the Web to your desktop, we suggest you replace your current files with the revised PDFs for the sections First Course of Treatment and Appendix B or the single, large FORDS file.
Highlights
AJCC Cancer Staging Manual 6th Edition Videoconference
The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) will sponsor a two-hour videoconference for physicians and cancer registrars titled "The Changing Strategies of TNM Staging: Introduction to the AJCC 6th Edition." The videoconference is scheduled for Thursday, November 21, 2002, and will be broadcast in four time zones. The AJCC will be able to accommodate facilities in Puerto Rico and Hawaii.
The videoconference is going to address the purpose and need for staging, general staging rules, common errors in staging, and changes in the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual 6th Edition for the major cancer sites and those with extensive revision. For further details on how to participate please go to the Education section of the AJCC Web site at http://www.cancerstaging.org. If you require additional information, contact Susan Burkhardt, AJCC Administrator, at 312/202-5313 or sburkhardt@facs.org.
Highlights
Cancer Liaison Physician Letters Mailed
Reappointment letters were recently mailed to cancer registrars for those cancer liaison physicians whose terms expired in July 2002. We urge cancer registrars to pay close attention to these letters and request a timely response. The cancer committee is responsible for making the decision regarding reappointment or replacement of the current cancer liaison physician. If reappointment is approved, simply fill out the reappointment form and return it. If a replacement is recommended, please complete and return both the Reappointment Form and the Membership Application which is found online at http://www.facs.org/dept/cancer/coc/howappoint.html. Cancer liaison physicians are appointed for three-year terms, so only institutions with cancer liaison physicians who were appointed in July 1999 will receive a reappointment notice. Please contact Iris Velazquez with any questions you may have at ivelazquez@facs.org or by phone at (312)202-5287.
Highlights
Instructions for Using I&R Now Online
We've enhanced our Web site to include an outline of instructions for using the Inquiry and Response (I&R) System. If you've had any difficulty using the system in the past or would just like a refresher on how to make the most of your I&R System search, then please see our Web site at http://web.facs.org/coc/default.htm or just click on the I&R button on our main menu.
Highlights
I&R FAQs
Question: Is there a time limit for physicians to complete either clinical or pathologic AJCC staging?
Answer: The clinical staging time frame ends when the patient receives the first treatment or when a decision is made not to treat. The pathologic classification is based on the evidence acquired before treatment, supplemented, or modified by the additional evidence acquired from surgery and from pathologic examination. The pathologic time frame ends after the most definitive surgery and uses information from the surgery and pathology report. If the physician chooses to restage after treatment, the "y" prefix must be used.
Question: If a patient is seen at our facility for a biopsy ONLY is AJCC staging still required?
Answer: AJCC staging is required for all analytic cases (Class of Case 0, 1, and 2). For cases where only a biopsy is performed at the reporting facility, the physician should stage the case at that point in time. At the time of the biopsy, unknown stage may be the correct information. If so, it should be recorded in the medical record by the managing physician. If the physician knows that the patient will be returning in a short time for definitive treatment, then staging can be done at that time. The physician should note this information on the initial staging form.
Highlights
Spotlight on CoC Member Organizations: NAACCR
The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) has been a member of the Commission on Cancer since 1996. Their current representative is Rosemary Dibble, CTR, from the Utah Cancer Registry in Salt Lake City, UT. NAACCR is a professional organization that develops and promotes uniform data standards for cancer registration, provides education and training, certifies population-based registries, aggregates and publishes data from central cancer registries, and promotes the use of cancer surveillance data and systems for cancer control and epidemiologic research, public health programs, and patient care to reduce the burden of cancer in North America. Collaborations with the CoC exist through representatives of both groups serving as board members, committee members, liaison representatives, and special interest groups. Andrew Stewart, Manager of the National Cancer Data Base Analytic Unit, currently serves as chair of NAACCR's Uniform Data Standards Committee, which is responsible for promoting uniformity of data items and definitions collected by various cancer data gathering organizations. Susan DesHarnais, PhD, Scientific Director for the National Cancer Data Base, is collaborating on a study of racial disparities in breast cancer care, and Connie Blankenship, Administrative Director for Cancer Programs, represents the CoC and the AJCC on the NAACCR Board. Additional collaborative initiatives with NAACCR include work on the Collaborative Stage Project, and studying the implications of HIPAA for the entire surveillance community. We invite you to learn more about NAACCR by visiting their Web site at http://www.naaccr.org.
Highlights
New Atlas of Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping Available
Stanley P. L. Leong, MD, FACS, a member of the Committee on Cancer Liaison and Commission on Cancer, is Editor of the new reference, "Atlas Of Selective Sentinel Lymphadenectomy For Melanoma, Breast Cancer And Colon Cancer". This text emphasizes the multidisciplinary approach to combining the experiences of a nuclear medical physician, surgeon, and pathologist. Published in July 2002, the atlas is available from Kluwer Academic Publishers call toll free at 1-866-269- WKAP (North American orders only).
Highlights
Need to Prepare for the CTR Exam?
The National Cancer Registrars Association is proud to offer a 1-DAY
PRE-CERTIFICATION WORKSHOP -- a review course for the Certified Tumor Registrars credentialing exam.
Updated for 2002, NCRA's Pre-Certification Workshop will help prepare attendees for the CTR Exam. NCRA's Workshop is now current with ICD-O-3 and SEER Summary Staging Manual 2000. Not intended for beginners, this Workshop will prepare those who are already knowledgeable of the material.
WHAT: NCRA's Workshop for the CTR Exam, a 1-day review course for the Certified Tumor Registrars credentialing exam.
WHERE: Las Vegas, NV
WHEN: Friday, September 6, 2002; 8am to 5pm
COST: $180 (No on-site registration is available. Class size is limited.)
CONTACT: Contact Michael Hechter at (703)299-6640 ext.12, or mhechter@ncra-usa.org, or see NCRA's Web page at ftp://ncra-usa.org/pub/SeptWkshpRegistration.pdf.
Highlights
Benefit of Being An Approved Program
You'll be able to participate in the National Cancer Data Base - a nationwide oncology outcomes database for more than 1,500 hospitals in 50 states.
Highlights
To Subscribe to CoC Flash
CoC Flash is e-mailed automatically each month to individuals for whom the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has an e-mail address. If you wish to continue to receive the newsletter on a monthly basis, you need do nothing. You can discontinue your subscription by writing to coc@facs.org and requesting that your name be deleted from the database. Individuals not currently receiving the newsletter may subscribe to the publication by sending an e-mail containing your name, address, telephone and fax numbers to coc@facs.org, and asking to be added to our electronic distribution database.
To Submit Information
CoC Flash will accept submissions received by the third week of each month. However, the CoC reserves the right to decide whether or not the materials are appropriate for inclusion. Information for CoC Flash should be timely, newsworthy, brief, and of use and interest to the constituents of the Commission, which include cancer registrars, liaison physicians, cancer committee chairs, and other cancer-oriented health care professionals. To submit material, send it to coc@facs.org.
The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer through education, standard setting, and the monitoring of quality care. CoC Flash is a monthly news service for constituents of the CoC provided by the Commission and the Cancer Program of the American College of Surgeons.
CoC Flash
Commission on Cancer
