Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits
Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits
Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.
Join Our Study on Barriers to NAPBC and NAPRC Accreditation
Save The Date for 2026 ACS Quality, Safety & Cancer Conference
Cancer Surgery Standards Step Into Spotlight at SSO 2026
Submit Your Abstract for Clinical Congress 2026
Survey Will Gauge Disaster Preparedness
Author Discusses Colon Cancer Resection Outcomes Disparity
AJCC Issues Staging System Protocols Update
Learn About the CoC Operative Standards Self-Audit Templates
Podcast Explores CoC Thyroid Cancer Operative Standards
Technical Standards for Sarcoma Surgery Webinar Recording is Available
Study Assesses Knowledge of CoC Operative Standards
Medication Prior to Cancer Surgery Continues to Increase
CoC Recognizes Accredited Sites
NAPBC Recognizes Accredited Sites
NAPRC Recognizes Accredited Site
Mark Your Calendar
Cancer Programs
Join Study on Barriers to NAPBC and NAPRC Accreditation
The ACS Commission on Cancer (CoC) and Cancer Research Program (ACS CRP®) are seeking participants for a national study to examine the barriers and facilitators to obtaining National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) accreditation. 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 NAPBC and/or NAPRC accredited. Programs that previously held or considered pursuing NAPRC or NAPBC accreditation are especially encouraged to participate; however, programs that have never considered NAPBC or NAPRC accreditation are also welcome.
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. No incentives, including credit for any CoC standard, are provided for participation in the survey.
If you are interested in participating in the study, contact Raheem Bell, rbell@facs.org.
Save the Date for 2026 ACS Quality, Safety & Cancer Conference
Join cancer program leaders, clinicians, and quality professionals at the 2026 ACS Quality, Safety & Cancer Conference, July 30–August 2, in Orlando, Florida.
The conference will feature a dynamic series of sessions focused on the latest cancer accreditation updates, including new standards, site visit preparation, National Cancer Database insights, and patient-centered outcomes.
Hear directly from C-suite leaders, explore high-impact local quality improvement (QI) projects, address rural cancer care challenges, and get your questions answered during interactive office hours and live Q&A sessions.
QI professionals are encouraged to submit a 250-word abstract by March 9. For additional information regarding presentation guidelines, submission details, and more, visit the conference website or contact acsqsconference@facs.org.
Cancer Surgery Standards Step Into Spotlight at SSO 2026
The 2026 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Meeting, March 5–7, in Phoenix, Arizona, will feature a session describing the current status and future impact of cancer care surgical standards, moderated by leaders from the Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) and ACS CRP®.
Timothy J. Vreeland, MD, FACS (Chair of the CSSP Education Committee), and Lesly Dossett, MD, MPH, FACS (CRP Executive Committee member and the principal investigator for the Assessing the Effectiveness and Significance of the Operative Standards Program grant), will comoderate “High Quality Cancer Surgery: Past, Present, and Future of Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery” on Thursday, March 5, 10:35–11:35 am.
The session will provide an update on the implementation of the six surgical standards in melanoma and breast, colon, rectum, and lung cancers at CoC-accredited programs. Speakers—which will include CSSP Chair Tina J. Hieken, MD, FACS, and Mediget Teshome, MD, MPH, FACS, CSSP Vice Chair—will discuss the evolution of the Operative Standards from standalone texts to integration in certification assessments for surgeons and residents, continuing efforts to expand to the global community of cancer surgeons, and the future of the Operative Standards.
Additional Cancer Programs leaders—including Joshua M. V. Mammen, MD, PhD, FACS (CoC Advocacy Committee and Chair of SurgeonsPAC), Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH, FACS (CoC Quality Assurance and Data Committee), and Elliot Asare, MD, MS, FACS (Chair of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Editorial Committee), also will moderate sessions at the SSO Annual Meeting.
This year’s program offers disease-site specific content, sessions specifically designed for advanced practice providers, residents, and fellows, and networking opportunities for all attendees.
The call for abstracts, videos, and posters for ACS Clinical Congress 2026, September 26–29, in Washington, DC, is open until March 2, at 1:00 pm CT. All submissions must be original works first presented and published at ACS Clinical Congress 2026. Submissions are being accepted in the following categories:
The American Cancer Society developed a survey that seeks to understand cancer centers' experience managing disaster events, as well as their current disaster risk management practices with the aim of improving preparedness and response in the future.
Forward this 10-minute survey to anyone with relevant expertise within your institution. The deadline for completing the survey is February 26.
Results will be kept anonymous and only reported in aggregate. Completing this survey has no bearing on accreditation status and is entirely optional.
Author Discusses Colon Cancer Resection Outcomes Disparity
Rural populations experience higher colon cancer mortality than urban populations, as well as more complications after resection. Watch Sarah Myers, MD, discuss her recent Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS) article examining the mediating factors between colon cancer resection in these populations, which found that increasing access to minimally invasive surgery could reduce this disparity.
American Joint Committee on Cancer
AJCC Issues Staging System Protocols Update
Effective January 1, all salivary gland and human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal carcinomas are 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.
Cancer Surgery Standards Program
Learn About CoC Operative Standards Self-Audit Templates
On February 23, the Cancer Surgery Standards Program will host an educational webinar addressing the use of the new CoC Operative Standards Self-Audit templates. This webinar will feature a live demonstration on how to complete the Self-Audit template for CoC Standard 5.3: Sentinel Node Biopsy for Breast Cancer.
Following the demonstration, webinar panelists Aaron D. Bleznak, MD, MBA, FACS, FSSO; Anthony M. Villano, MD, FACS; and Carrie Antonelli, ODS-C will answer questions regarding the self-audit tools. Registrants may submit questions in advance, and a recording of the webinar will be available on the ACS YouTube channel shortly after February 23.
Podcast Explores CoC Thyroid Cancer Operative Standards
In collaboration with the Behind the Knife podcast, the CSSP has released a new episode, highlighting the thyroid cancer operative standards.
This is the second episode in a miniseries that will delve into the technical aspects of CoC Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, developed through the CSSP.
Technical Standards for Sarcoma Surgery Webinar Recording Is Available
Speakers presenting during the Technical Standards for Sarcoma Surgery webinar reviewed evidence-based operative standards for the performance of sarcoma surgery as outlined in the Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, Volume 3. The webinar, hosted by the Cancer Surgery Standards Program, was originally broadcast on January 21.
The webinar will be posted on YouTube on the CSSP playlist and is available now on the ACS Learning Management System (LMS). Physicians are eligible to earn 1.5 CME credits if the content is viewed through the LMS; CME will not be awarded to participants watching the webinar on YouTube.
Instructions for finding the course in the LMS:
If you have access to the Commission on Cancer, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, or National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer portals, use that login. If you do not, create a new account.
The course is located in the catalog tab by title (CSSP: Technical Standards for Sarcoma Surgery).
Registration for the course is required.
After registration is complete, access the course to see the video, slide handout, and evaluation and to print the CME certificate of completion.
If you receive an error message in the LMS, log out of the LMS, clear your computer’s internet history, and log back in.
Study Assesses Knowledge of CoC Operative Standards
The Assessing the Effectiveness and Significance of the Operative Standards Program grant team and the Cancer Surgery Standards Program Education Committee collaborated to assess surgical trainees’ knowledge of the CoC Operative Standards in a manuscript newly published in JACS. Surveys completed by 205 residents and 39 fellows assessed underlying cancer surgery principles to identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for improved education. The survey results highlighted the need for broad and multifaceted educational strategies supported at national and institutional levels.
Commission on Cancer
Medication Prior to Cancer Surgery Continues to Increase
The second annual report from the National Cancer Database® (NCDB) documents a substantial rise in medication treatments–such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy–used before surgery to treat many cancers. This approach often allows less invasive surgery and helps clinicians assess how a patient’s cancer responds to medication to guide the most effective treatment options.
The NCDB report, published in the JACS shows the most notable increases in neoadjuvant systemic therapy, which involves treatments that travel throughout the bloodstream and are given before surgery, for pancreatic, gynecologic, and abdominal lining cancers.
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:
Allina Health Minneapolis, MN
The Cancer Center at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center Nashua, NH
Dignity Health GSD Cancer Program Carmichael, CA
Frederick Health Hospital Frederick, MD
Putnam County Hospital Greencastle, IN
Rideout Memorial Hospital Marysville, CA
Saint Joseph Hospital SCL Health Denver, CO
Salem Regional Medical Center Salem, OH
Sanford Health Roger Maris Cancer Center Fargo, ND
Southern Ohio Medical Center Portsmouth, OH
Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center Tallahassee, FL
William Beaumont Army Medical Center Fort Bliss, TX
Winchester Hospital Winchester, MA
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:
The Cancer Hospital at RWJUH Breast Care Connection New Brunswick, NJ
Harrington Cancer Center Amarillo, TX
HCA Florida North Florida Hospital Gainesville, FL
The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy Baltimore, MD
Providence Breast Center Southfield, MI
Tawam Breast Care Center Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
NAPRC Recognizes Accredited Sites
The ACS National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) 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 NAPRC accreditation:
Atrium Health Carolina's Medical Center Charlotte, NC
Sarasota Memorial Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute Sarasota, FL
