March 2001
Highlights for the month:
NCDB Call for Data Past Due
The NCDB Call for Data for cases accessioned into hospital registries for the years 1989, 1994, and 1999 was due more than a month ago. A number of CoC-approved cancer programs have yet to submit data in response to this call. If your facility has not already done so, please submit your data for these accession years in a timely fashion. Non-compliant facilities will be contacted by the NCDB in mid-March, and will be encouraged to submit their data. If you have any questions, please contact Barbara Ploetz at bploetz@facs.org.
Highlights
Corrections Made to 2001 Gastric Cancers PCE
The CoC has updated the case capture specifications for the 2001 Gastric Cancers PCE study. The list of histologic codes used to define adenocarcinomas was inadvertently drawn from a dated source and did not reflect modifications which appear in ICD-O-3. To resolve this conflict and to make programming easier for registry software venders, please note that the histologic definition of adenocarcinomas to be included in this PCE study has been simplified to include the range of codes from 8140 through 8576. All documentation supporting this study has been updated to reflect this change and is currently available on our Web site at http://www.facs.org/dept/cancer/ncdb/index.html.
Special Note: In order to reduce development expenses that may be incurred by registry vendors, the CoC will develop a paper data form for the collection of benign, uncertain, and in situ GI stromal sarcomas (ICD-O-3 histology code 8936). Once available, we'll send an announcement via the CoC Flash. All other cases entered into this study must be submitted electronically through the NCDB Annual Call for Data.
Highlights
CAP Guidelines Q & A
Is there something you'd like to know about the new CAP guidelines requirement? The March issue of "News from the Commission on Cancer" will provide a list of frequently asked questions related to the implementation of CAP guidelines in approved-cancer programs and a response for each. This issue will be posted to our Web site around mid-March.
Highlights
ROADS Work Group Meets in Chicago
The ROADS 2003 Work Group met February 23-24 to discuss the revision and development of the next edition of "Standards of the Commission on Cancer Volume II: ROADS." The group is composed of representatives from the American College of Surgeons and CoC member organizations including the American Cancer Society, American Society of Therapeutic Radiology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, College of American Pathology, National Cancer Registrars Association, National Cancer Institute-SEER Program, Centers for Disease Prevention and Control National Program for Cancer Registries, North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR), software providers, and hospital registries.
The work group reviewed possible additions and changes to the manual as well as the proposed removal of some items for the 2003 edition. Consensus recommendations and a draft of the next edition will be presented to the Commission on Cancer Standards Committee in April for approval. Following CoC approval, new and changed data items will be submitted to the Uniform Data Standards Committee of NAACCR in June. Training will begin in mid-2002.
Highlights
CoC-Approved Cancer Programs: A Benefit for You
The Commission encourages professional education and staff support. Approved cancer programs are required to maintain the expertise of the cancer team. Staff members must participate in ongoing cancer education pertinent to their specialty or field. Educational programs ensure current knowledge of and changes to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.
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 message 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 monthly deadlines stated below. However, the CoC reserves the right to decide whether or not the materials are appropriate for inclusion. Information for CoC Flash should be timely, news worthy, 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 of the American College of Surgeons is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to decreasing the morbidity and mortality caused by cancer through prevention, monitoring and reporting of care, standard-setting, and education. CoC Flash is a monthly news service for constituents of the CoC provided by the Commission and the Cancer Department of the American College of Surgeons.
CoC Flash
Commission on Cancer
