The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer: CoC Flash Newsletter June 2009

NCRA Exhibits Summary

The Commission on Cancer along with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) recently exhibited at the National Cancer Registrars Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA on May 31-June 3. Our staff made direct contact with more than 600 of our constituents from across the United States and Canada. Congratulations to the following raffle prize winners:

Shannon Hart, Gypsum, CO - Apple 4GB iPod

Elaine Ingle, Mechanicsville, MD - Upcoming version of the 2010 FORDS Manual

Conni Barker, Ft. Wayne, IN - Cancer Program Standards Manual 2009

Gwen Filler, Surprise, AZ - National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers Standards Manual

Thank you for your continued support of these programs. We’ll see you in Palm Springs, CA in 2010!

From Birds Eye To Bedside: Getting Research Results To Surgeons Faster

The Commission on Cancer is partnering with university researchers and the National Cancer Institute to bring research results faster to surgeons who treat patients with breast cancer. The Commission is working with The Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes Research Team centered at the University of Michigan (www.cansort.org) to disseminate their population-based research findings directly to surgeons. CanSORT performs NCI funded research in collaboration with two NCI SEER registries to study the quality of surgical treatment for breast cancer in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and Detroit. The College is sponsoring a CME accredited interactive Web site with research results tailored for surgeons who participated in these studies. CanSORT is getting feedback from surgeons about the Web site to improve ways to disseminate research results directly to surgeons. The results of this demonstration project will be used to improve Web-based initiatives to more rapidly bring research on quality of care to the practicing surgeon. The interactive Web site will be on-line later this year to support the broader community of surgeons interested and involved in breast cancer care. For more information about this initiative, contact Sarah T. Hawley, PhD MPH, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, at sarahawl@umich.edu.

It Is Time to Update Your Facility and Staff Contacts!

Summer has officially arrived, but some facilities in the Datalinks System still need a little “Spring Cleaning.” When was the last time your “Facility and Staff Contact Information” was updated?

Identify an individual with CoC Datalinks access to review and update your Facility and Staff Contact Information:

Log into the Datalinks System:
- Go to the CoC Web site: www.facs.org/cancer.
- Select “Access to CoC Datalinks” from the main menu.
- Type in your Datalinks User ID and Password.
Select the link at the top of the Datalinks Activity Menu titled “Facility and Staff Contact Information.”
Review the Facility Contact Information, with special attention to the facility’s main phone number, as we would prefer that the number be the facility’s patient reference number or a 1-800-Number.
Please review and update all Staff Contact information.
Be sure to “Save” sections AND “Save Page!"

It is important to update your Staff Contact information not only to keep the SAR and FIPS current, but also to maintain or edit Datalinks access for the users at your facility. The titles listed (Cancer Program Administrator, Cancer Committee Chair, Cancer Liaison, Cancer Registrar, Cancer Co-Registrar) directly correlate with those access roles in the Datalinks system.

After reviewing and updating you may want to:

Add a New User: Please download the “Request for an Additional CoC Datalinks User” form located on the Datalinks Log In page.
Review ALL Datalinks Users for your facility: Datalink Contacts and NCDB Tools Users are not listed in the contacts area. Please email CoCDatalinks@facs.org in order to obtain a full listing for your facility.
Remove Access to the System for a Staff Member: Contact CoCDatalinks@facs.org or Steffanye Hawbaker at 1-312-202-5481.

Questions? Contact CoCDatalinks@facs.org.

CoC Member Organization Representative Recently Appointed

The CoC is pleased to welcome the following new member appointed at the Spring Meeting in May 2009:

Robert W. Atcher, MBA, PhD; University of New Mexico; Los Alamos, NM; representing the Society of Nuclear Medicine for a three-year term.

Member Organization Cancer Care Initiatives

Each year, the member organization representatives of the Commission on Cancer are invited to submit reports about their organization's current cancer care initiatives and areas for collaboration with the CoC. Each report lists the organization's name, year it joined the CoC, a mission statement, and Web site address. Other categories include:

Major projects and/or key initiatives that are under way
Recently released publications and/or products
Scheduled conferences, meetings, and/or educational programs
Description of legislative and/or advocacy agenda
Emerging issues within the organization that the CoC should become engaged and/or involved in

The current reports reflect the organizations' 2008 activities and are posted on the CoC Web site at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/initiatives.html.

In Memorium

On Saturday, June 27, 2009, the Commission on Cancer lost a dear colleague - Leopold M. Waldenberg, MD, FACS.

Dr. Waldenberg was a surveyor for cancer programs and practiced surgery in Raleigh, NC. He was passionate about quality cancer care for his patients and was active in several medical societies.

Dr. Waldenberg was a member of the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control. He was a past president of the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons, and past president of the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Waldenberg is survived by his wife of 40 years, Judith Waldenberg and daughters Hilary, Alison, Whitney, and Lindsey. The family requests any donations be made in honor of Dr. Leopold Waldenberg to the American Cancer Society. Our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

SAR Annual Update 2009

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 will take place 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 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.

Following the completion of the Annual Update period, a “snapshot” of your facility or network’s activity for the required standards will be taken and the information archived. The SAR will remain open for program use as a record-keeping tool to document program activity between surveys. For example, you will be able to enter information on each cancer committee meeting for Standard 2.4 immediately following the meeting.

Questions about the SAR or SAR Annual Update should be submitted to SAR@facs.org.

Prepare Now for the NCDB Call for Data

The remaining information you need to prepare for the twentieth annual NCDB Call for Data will be available after July 4 on the CoC Web site. Submissions will be accepted beginning September 1, 2009. See http://www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/ncdbspecs.pdf for a complete description of the specifications for this year. This document identifies the cases to be submitted, the items collected, and submission deadlines. It also describes the cases surveyors will check for CoC Standards 3.6 and 3.7 in surveys conducted during 2010. Use the bookmarks in this pdf to discover all of the other useful information it contains.

Edit instructions, links to download the GenEDITS Plus software, and the NCDB files necessary to edit cases will be available at http://www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/edits.html.

That site also includes a link to the RegistryPlus Online Help application that describes all of the standard edits and links them to the appropriate pages of registry manuals. A description of Clinical Checks is also posted there.

The single Web site that links to all Call for Data information is http://www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/datasubmission.html. This site is a good one to bookmark.

The formal Call for Data will be sent in August. A Webinar about the Call for Data is scheduled for August 12. Registration is available through the 2009 CoC Online Education Portal at http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html.

Are you discovering you need to spend a good deal of time correcting data before submission? The solution is to make a habit of applying the current hospital-specific edits to your cases as you abstract. See http://www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/newlyabstracted.html.

American Cancer Society presents St. George National Awards

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently announced the esteemed winners of the annual St. George National Award. This award recognizes outstanding volunteers who have made a significant contribution toward achieving the American Cancer Society’s mission to save lives. Since it was conceived in 1949 by Charles S. Cameron, MD, former ACS medical and scientific director, the St. George National Award has been awarded annually to American Cancer Society volunteers nationwide. This year, the prestigious award was given to Arnold M. Baskies, MD, FACS, a Commission on Cancer member and the New Jersey State Chair. Congratulations, Dr. Baskies!

Commission on Cancer Surveys and American Cancer Society Representatives

On June 11, 2009, Lisa Landvogt, CTR, Administrator, Accreditation & Standards, Commission on Cancer presented The Survey Process from A to Z to over 120 American Cancer Society (ACS) field representatives. The presentation was a basic overview of the process of what happens before, during, and after a Commission on Cancer Survey.

Cancer programs are encouraged to welcome American Cancer Society representatives to serve on the cancer committee and attend the CoC survey. Having an ACS representative at survey signifies the partnership between the cancer program and the American Cancer Society whether your activities involve supportive services to patients, outreach programs in the community, screening initiatives, or one of the many other collaborative efforts between cancer programs and the American Cancer Society.

Please Complete Your Cancer Liaison Physician Activity Reports

The 2009 SAR Annual Update has been announced, and Cancer Liaison Physicians are asked to complete the Cancer Liaison Physician Activity Report based on 2008 activity. Thanks to the more than 1,400 Cancer Liaison Physicians who completed 2007 reports! These data were compiled and reported to the Committee on Cancer Liaison at the Commission on Cancer Spring Meeting, held May 14-16, 2009. These data are used for evaluating the Cancer Liaison Program and gauging the level of effort being made by Cancer Liaison Physicians in important work such as analyzing data, using evidence-based treatment guidelines, staging, supporting increased clinical trials enrollment, influencing cancer-related policy, implementing of state cancer plan priorities and supporting American Cancer Society partnerships.

A discussion about the value and future of the Cancer Liaison Program took place during the Committee on Cancer Liaison meeting, resulting in a decision to gather additional information and develop a strong plan for the future of the Cancer Liaison Program. A Cancer Liaison Program Summit is being planned for late summer 2009. Data gathering and summit planning will take place throughout the summer. Comments can be sent to nmiller@facs.org.

CoC Online Education

The CoC invites you to visit the 2009 CoC Online Education Portal and register for upcoming Webinars serving the needs of CoC constituents. New features include a more personalized user experience with unique login and personal library of purchased programs.

Pre-registration is required, and Continuing Education credit is offered to each individual participant who has registered for a program. CE is not available for group viewing at this time. (The CoC Online Education Portal is set up for the individual viewer, and only the registered individual can be awarded CE for participation. The CoC is currently investigating other registration/viewing options and will notify everyone of any changes via the CoC Flash when available.)

Participants must read viewing requirements before participation in the Webinar. We encourage you to bookmark this page and visit often as new topics will be posted throughout the year. http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/coceduc.html

Upcoming CoC Webinars

From Embolisms to Prophylactics: Conquering a Maze of Treatment Terms
Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 10:00 AM Central

Course Overview:
This presentation examines coding issues involving several treatment-related terms that have generated registrar queries recently, including embolization, neoadjuvant, prophylaxis and palliation. Definitions of the terms, their varied uses, and how to code them will be covered.

Target Audience:
Abstractors, coders, registrars, registry managers, data quality staff.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the meaning of “embolization,” and know when and how to code it.
2. Understand the meanings of “adjuvant” and “neoadjuvant” and how they affect treatment and stage coding.
3. Know when prophylactic care should be reported.
4. Know how and when to report palliative care.
5. Be able to correctly code “Other Treatment.”

Presenter:
Jerri Linn Phillips, MA, CTR

Using NCDB Tools (Survival and Benchmark Reports) to Comply with CoC Standards
Wednesday, July 29 at 11:00 AM Central

Course Overview:
An introduction for users needing to navigate the full range of National Cancer Data Base reporting tools will be provided. Tips on how to generate reports, how to interpret the computed and displayed results, and understanding the limitations of the information will be provided. A brief review of survival calculation methodology will be included.

Target Audience:
Cancer registrars, program administrators, and cancer liaison physicians from CoC-Accredited Programs.

Learning Objectives:
1. Evaluate generated survival reports.
2. Compare and contrast aggregate and hospital specific results.
3. Appraise appropriate conclusions drawn from generated reports.

Presenter:
Andrew K. Stewart, MA

On-Demand Webinars 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.

Standard 4.3: Stage and Treatment Planning
The New CP3R Application and Revisions to Standard 4.6: Integration of the NCDB with the Approvals Process

Announcing the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual and Handbook, 7th Edition

The American Joint Committee on Cancer’s Cancer Staging Manual and Handbook are used by pathologists, surgeons, registrars, and oncologists throughout the world to diagnose cancer and determine the extent to which it has progressed. This new Seventh Edition was edited by: S.B. Edge, D.R. Byrd, M. Carducci, C.C. Compton, A.G. Fritz, F. Greene, and A. Trotti, and all TNM staging information included in this edition is uniform between the AJCC and the UICC.

Organized by disease site into 57 comprehensive chapters, the Seventh Edition features much-anticipated, major revisions to many chapters including 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, 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.

The AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook, at $49.95, contains all the same essential material, without the Staging Forms. The Handbook comes in a smaller, convenient format, easy to fit in labcoat pockets.

The Manual and Handbook will be published in September, however, pre-sales are now being accepted. Order from the publisher, Springer, by accessing the following links:

AJCC Cancer Staging Manual
http://www.springer.com/978-0-387-88440-0

AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook
http://www.springer.com/978-0-387-88442-4

REGISTER NOW! The AJCC Prepares for Personalized Medicine: Molecular Markers Meet Anatomic Staging

As part of its 50th Anniversary celebration, the AJCC will host an annual state-of-the-science conference on September 11-12, 2009 at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, MD.

Keynote speaker Francis Collins, MD, PhD, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will set the stage for the conference featuring leaders in the science who will:

Unravel the broad spectrum of current and emerging molecular markers and prognostic/predictive tools.
Identify strategies to develop a framework for incorporating molecular markers into future cancer staging schemas.

Intended audience includes cancer researchers and scientists, oncologists, statisticians, surveillance professionals, cancer registry professionals, and clinical trial professionals.

To register and view the conference program, visit www.ajcc2009baltimore.com.

NAPBC Impressed with Geographic Distribution

Congratulations go out to the 51 NAPBC Accredited Breast Centers! These centers are the first in the nation to receive this recognition. All of these centers have a strong multidisciplinary breast care team and are to be congratulated for the quality of care they are providing patients diagnosed with and treated for diseases of the breast.

The distribution of accredited centers is widespread and represents centers from all geographic regions in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The NAPBC is also pleased to find that small centers and private practitioners are applying for NAPBC accreditation.

Visit the NAPBC Web site for the most current listing of NAPBC Accredited Breast Centers in the United States at http://accreditedbreastcenters.org/resources/find.html.

American Cancer Society Books At 40% Off

American Cancer Society books at 40% off, plus free shipping only at www.cancer.org/books4CoC.

With the tremendous explosion of interest in the field of complementary and alternative cancer therapies (CAM), many of your own patients may want to discuss use of CAM to alleviate or cope with side effects of their cancer treatment and/or deal with fear of recurrence. A comprehensive new resource, American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary & Alternative Cancer Therapies, was created precisely to respond to the growing public demand for accurate and timely information on the subject. Completely revised and updated, this in-depth look at more than 200 therapies covers what works, what doesn’t, what may help, and what may harm. Help patients and caregivers cut through the hype and focus on the best medical evidence available. You and they can rely on science-based information from the American Cancer Society.

American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary & Alternative Cancer Therapies, 2nd Edition
Only $14.97 per copy, plus free shipping for healthcare professionals from the American Cancer Society / ACS Product #9413.01 / 894 pages / $24.95 retail

Read more about this product and your special CoC professional discount offer available on-line at: www.cancer.org/books4CoC.

Offer valid while supplies last.

ACI's Breast Centers of Excellence Conference To Be Held This Fall

The Active Communications International (ACI) Breast Centers of Excellence Conference for strategic hospital executives will be held in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center, September 30-October 2, 2009, in Baltimore, MD.

Conference topics include:

Creating a state-of- the-art comprehensive breast center to improve patient care, enhance workflow and efficiency
Maximizing competitive advantage by providing innovative, integrated, high-quality and cost-effective care
Coordination of care including navigating a patient from point of screening mammogram through the completion of breast cancer treatment.

For a complete agenda and hotel information, contact Gia Bosch at 1-414-221-1700 x130 or gbosch@acius.net OR go to http://www.acius.net/wiki.aspx/Conferences/Upcoming?view=overview&id=126.

Individuals affiliated with the CoC who are interested in attending the conference should mention the code “COC” upon registration to receive a $300 discount.

NPCR Cyber Cancer Registry - NPCR Connects

1. What is the Cyber Cancer Registry?

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 Web-based learning tool was designed and developed by CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR).

2. What are the components of the Cyber Cancer Registry?

The Cyber Cancer Registry consists of modules pertaining to the core functions of cancer registration in the hospital and central cancer registry settings. The first module developed is Casefinding (cancer case identification). 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.

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.

3. What are the benefits of the module design?

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.

4. What NPCR core education values are fulfilled by the Cyber Cancer Registry?

Education and training is an essential element 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.

5. What is the role of the National Cancer Registrars Association?

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

6. When will the Cyber Cancer Registry be available and how will it be accessed?

The Cyber Registry is anticipated to be available in the near future, and will be accessed through the NPCR’s Web site via a link from the NCRA’s Web site.

Pacific Island Jurisdictions Visited by NPCR

For the first time, the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Island Jurisdictions (PIJ) will have population-based cancer incidence data available for analysis and cancer control activities. Under NPCR funding, the PIJ are in the planning stage for implementation of the Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry (PRCCR). The PRCCR encompasses the islands of Guam, Palau, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia consisting of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. PRCCR's "official" reference date is January 1, 2007, but will include cases from 2000 forward.

Online July 2, 2009

CoC Flash

Commission on Cancer