Cancer Programs News: January 8

Survey to Identify Barriers to NAPBC and NAPRC Accreditation

The ACS Commission on Cancer (CoC) and Cancer Research Program are launching a national study to examine factors hindering and helping centers obtain accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC). The goal of the study is to identify strategies that make accreditation more valuable and attainable for programs varying in size, structure, and resources.

The study team is looking for sites that are CoC-accredited but are not currently accredited by the NAPBC or NAPRC. Programs that previously held, or have considered pursuing, NAPBC or NAPRC accreditation are encouraged to participate.

Participation involves a 30–45-minute virtual interview between a program clinician or administrative stakeholder and a member of the research team. Responses will be kept confidential and reported only in aggregate. Survey participants will not receive credit for any CoC standard or be provide with any other incentives.

If you are interested in participating or learning more, contact Raheem Bell at rbell@facs.org.

AJCC Issues Staging System Protocols Update

Effective January 1, all salivary gland and human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal carcinomas are to be staged using the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Version 9 protocols. However, because the corresponding College of American Pathologists (CAP) cancer protocols will not be released until March, pathology reports issued before then should continue to reference AJCC 8th Edition. Clinical teams should base staging on the relevant AJCC Version 9 clinical and pathological elements.

For questions regarding AJCC Version 9 staging, contact ajcc@facs.org. For questions regarding CAP cancer protocols, contact cancerprotocols@cap.org.

Access New AJCC Staging System Protocols Webinar Recordings

The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) has published recordings of Version 9 staging system protocols for lung, mesothelioma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the ACS Online Learning Portal. 

Physicians, researchers, and other users will find this content beneficial, and Continuing Education credits are available for physicians, oncology data specialists, and nurses. These  AJCC Version 9 protocols went into effect on January 1, 2025, and replace the 8th Edition site content for lung and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

CSSP Hosts Sarcoma Cancer Surgery Webinar

The Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) will present the Technical Standards for Sarcoma Cancer Surgery webinar at 5:00 pm CT on January 21. Presenters will discuss evidence-based operative standards for sarcoma surgery as outlined in the Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, Volume 3.

This webinar will include presentations on the resection of extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcoma and strategies for approaching surgical resection of retroperitoneal and intra-abdominal sarcomas. The panel discussion will include insights addressing the clinical management of sarcoma cancer through case study review.

This webinar is applicable to general surgeons, surgical oncologists, and trainees with an interest in sarcoma surgery. All surgeons who attend the webinar are eligible to receive Continuing Medical Education credits.

For more information contact CSSP@facs.org.

Learn More About CoC Standards for Rural Cancer

To better address the needs of hospitals providing cancer care in rural counties, the Commission on Cancer (CoC) has developed a category for participation that includes standards tailored for rural hospitals. Hospitals located within a county that has a Rural-Urban Continuum Code (RUCC) of 4 through 9 are eligible to participate in the Rural Cancer Program (RCP) category.

Current CoC programs that meet the eligibility criteria may switch from their existing categories to the RCP category in late 2026. Eligible hospitals interested in switching categories are asked to complete a brief interest survey. These programs may also begin implementing the RCP modifications starting with 2026 activity. However, program administrators must confirm they are within a RUCC 4-9 category before using the RCP standards.

New applicants may use the RCP modifications for initial accreditation site visits occurring in 2027, which will review cancer program activity from 2026.

More information on the RCP offering, including Frequently Asked Questions and detailed guidelines, will be available later this month. The RCP modifications will also be added to Specifications by Category section of Optimal Resources for Cancer Care (2020 Standards) with its next update.

For more information, email CoC@facs.org.

Access CoC Operative Standards Templates

In October, the Commission on Cancer (CoC) updated the measure of compliance for Standards 5.3 – 5.6. Comprehensive details about the update were featured in a recent Cancer Programs News article. The new measure requires yearly audits using the CoC Operative Standards Audit Templates, which are available for accredited programs in the Resources section of QPort.

These new templates are designed to help programs evaluate cases for the appropriate information for compliance and to develop data-based action plans when applicable. The templates provide accredited programs with checklists and case considerations to evaluate documentation and technical compliance each year. These documents were created to provide programs with a uniform documentation framework to record applicable case information, required elements, and responses in synoptic format, and to report overall compliance.

For more information, email  CSSP@facs.org.

Explore Resources for New Smoking Cessation Standard

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) hosted the webinar, Smoking Cessation Across the Continuum of Lung Cancer Risk, Treatment, and Survival, which provided an overview of the new Standard 5.9: Smoking Cessation for Patients with Cancer. The session also included information underscoring the value of smoking cessation for patients with cancer, notable components related to standard compliance, and suggestions for successful implementation. A recording of the webinar can be accessed through the ACS Online Learning Portal.

Questions submitted during the webinar have been addressed in the Standard 5.9 Frequently Asked Questions document, in the Standard Resource Library in QPort.  Additional questions can be submitted to the CAnswer Forum.

CoC Launches 2026 Research Paper Competition

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) has launched the 2026 Research Paper Competition for physicians in training to encourage oncologic research in support of the CoC’s mission. Categories for submission are clinical research and basic science. The first-place recipient will receive a $1,000 honorarium and an opportunity to present their papers at the CoC’s Plenary Session during the 2026 Clinical Congress in September. Second- and third-place recipients will each receive $500 each.

More information on eligibility, requirements, and honorariums is available on the CoC website. Submissions should be sent to mleeb@facs.org by June 8.

NAPRC Standards Are Updated for Implementation January 2026

The updated National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) accreditation standards address Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and provide a streamlined approach to requirements. Centers must comply with the updated standards starting January 1.

Substantive changes include:

• Standard 5.12: RC-MDT Review Following Neoadjuvant Therapy was removed. The requirement to present patients to the Rectal Cancer Multidisciplinary Team (RC-MDT) post-neoadjuvant therapy now resides in Standard 5.11: Treatment Outcome Discussion and Outcome Summary.
  • Standard 5.11 was also updated to clarify that RC-MDT presentations for any neoadjuvant patient must occur within 150 days of the final administered course of the patient’s treatment.
• The standards governing RC-MDT presentation requirements (Standards 5.6 and 5.11) were reorganized so the elements required for discussion match the elements required for the summary. A few discussion elements were added to the treatment planning RC-MDT presentation in Standard 5.6, which are outlined in the Change Log.
  • The compliance percentages for delivery of recommendation and outcome summaries were increased to 90% to match the patient presentation compliance threshold. As a reminder, if a treating physician is present during the RC-MDT discussion, this qualifies as delivery of the recommendation or outcome summary.
• Standard 7.2: Quality Improvement Initiative was updated to reduce the number of QI projects required each accreditation cycle from three to one.

A detailed Change Log has been added to both the Resources section of QPort and the NAPRC website. The NAPRC FAQ resource has been updated, which is also available in the Resources section of QPort.

Updated templates that may be used to document RC-MDT discussions will be available in early 2026.

Questions on the NAPRC Standards should be submitted to the CAnswer Forum. 

CSPN Launches 2026 Standards Shared Interest Group

The Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care Professionals Network (CSPN) is launching its 2026 calendar-year cycle for the Standards Shared Interest Group. This peer-to-peer group provides collaborative support for implementing national standards that support survivorship care and advancing survivorship program development.

Focus areas for 2026 include peer-to-peer mentorship, operational and programmatic resources and additional activities to be determined based on the 2026 Standards Survey

Visit the CSPN website to learn more about the Standards Shared Interest Group.

CoC Recognizes Accredited Sites

The ACS CoC recognizes the following cancer sites for demonstrating their commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered cancer care to patients and the community by recently earning CoC reaccreditation:

Baptist Medical Center South
Montgomery, AL

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital
Ocala, FL

HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast
Pasadena, TX

Harris County Hospital District
Houston, TX

Houston Methodist The Woodlands
The Woodlands, TX

Jefferson Health-Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
Sewell, NJ

John Muir Health/John Muir Cancer Institute
Walnut Creek, CA

Medical City Arlington
Arlington, TX

Medical City Dallas Hospital
Dallas, TX

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY

MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center
Waterloo, IA

Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, OR

Palm Beach Health Network
West Palm Beach, FL

Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Medical Center
Columbus, GA

Piedmont Macon Medical
Macon, GA

Saint Francis Hospital
Tulsa, OK

NAPBC Recognizes Accredited Sites

The ACS NAPBC recognizes the following breast sites for demonstrating their commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered cancer care to patients and the community by recently earning NAPBC reaccreditation:

Ascension Alexian Brothers
Elk Grove Village, IL

Breast Center of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital
Elmhurst, IL

Cleveland Clinic-Hillcrest Hospital Breast Center
Mayfield Heights, OH

Christus Trinity Mother Frances
Tyler, TX

Kaiser Permanente Hospital San Rafael
San Rafael, CA

Samaritan Corvallis Breast Center
Corvallis, OR

Sanford Bismarck Medical Center
Bismarck, ND

St. Elizabeth Hospital Inc.
Appleton, WI

St. Mary's Breast Health Center
Athens, GA

UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Cancer Institute Hinsdale Comprehensive Breast Program
Hinsdale, IL

NAPRC Recognizes Accredited Site

The ACS National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) recognizes the following cancer site for demonstrating its commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered cancer care to patients and the community by recently earning NAPRC accreditation:

MercyOne Des Moines
Des Moines, IA

Mark Your Calendars

January 21, 2026: Technical Standards for Sarcoma Surgery

January 29: NAPBC: Axillary Management in Breast Cancer

February 18: Technical Standards for Gastric Surgery

July 30–August 2: Quality, Safety & Cancer Conference

September 26–29: ACS Clinical Congress 2026