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.
The selected scholar for this program will work closely with ACS Cancer Programs staff and national physician leaders to advance high-impact QI initiatives and conduct meaningful research in surgical oncology and cancer care. Scholars receive robust mentorship in clinical research, statistics, and health services research, while collaborating with experts across the country. As part of the program, participants also earn a master’s degree aligned with their research focus.
Applicants must be US citizens, have completed at least 2 years of clinical training, and obtain approval from their home institution.
One Cancer Clinical Scholar position is open for the 2027-2029 period. Applications will be accepted through April 13, at 11:59 pm CT.
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), encourage your site to promote colorectal cancer awareness and the importance of screening during the month of March.
To help promote Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in your community, the CoC and the NAPRC have developed customizable posters that can be downloaded through the Marketing Resources section in QPort.
Adults with colon or lung cancer living in rural communities often travel long distances when seeking treatment for cancer, but distant travel to urban facilities may not always be necessary to receive high-quality surgical care, according to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).
Submit Abstract for the 2026 ACS Quality, Safety & Cancer Conference
QI professionals are encouraged to submit a 250-word abstract for the 2026 ACS Quality, Safety & Cancer Conference, July 30–August 2, in Orlando, Florida. Abstracts may be accepted as an oral presentation, poster presentation, or both. The deadline for submitting abstracts is March 9.
Abstract submissions should:
Relate to surgical QI initiatives, including the development, implementation, or validation of best practices
Follow operational best practices relating to workflows around collecting data and reporting
Use data from any nationally recognized surgical quality registry
Join Our Study on Barriers to NAPBC and NAPRC Accreditation
The ACS 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 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 encouraged to participate; however, programs that have never considered NAPBC or NAPRC accreditation are also welcome to partake in the study.
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.
Cancer Surgery Standards Program
Learn About CoC Operative Standards Self-Audit Templates
The Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) will host an educational webinar on February 23, 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.
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.
The Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) educational webinar on the Technical Standards for Gastric Cancer Surgery has been rescheduled for May 2026. The new webinar date will be announced in the coming weeks, and the webpage will be updated with registration information once details are finalized.
This webinar will review evidence-based operative standards for gastric cancer surgery as outlined in Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, Volume 2. Planned topics include intraoperative staging and resection of the primary tumor, assessment of surgical margins and technical aspects of regional lymphadenectomy, and reconstruction options following gastric cancer surgery. The panel discussion will feature case-based insights into the clinical management of gastric cancer.
The program will be applicable to senior residents, fellows, and surgeons who perform or have an interest in gastric cancer surgery. Surgeons who attend the rescheduled webinar will be eligible to receive Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.
Commission on Cancer
CoC Seeks CLP Feedback for Operative Standards Study
The Assessing the Effectiveness and Significance of the Operative Standards Program (AESOP) study is a 5-year, multi-institutional initiative funded by the National Cancer Institute. The AESOP team is evaluating how the CoC Operative Standards are implemented and their impact on cancer care. A central component of this work involves collecting insights from Cancer Liaison Physicians (CLPs) through national surveys.
The CLPs at programs undergoing CoC accreditation site visits this month will receive a survey link from REDCap@facs.org. CLPs are asked to complete the 10-to-15-minute survey within 2 weeks of receiving the email. In appreciation for their time, CLPs will receive a $25 gift card upon completion of the survey.
CLP participation is critical to the AESOP study and will inform future work. Contact AESOP@facs.org with questions.
CoC Accepting Submissions For the 2026 Research Paper Competition
The CoC 2026 Cancer Research Paper Competition for physicians in training is accepting submissions through June 8. Categories for submission are clinical research and basic science. The first-place recipients will be awarded 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.
More information on eligibility, requirements, and awards is available on the CoC website. Submissions should be sent to mleeb@facs.org.
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, and replace the 8th Edition site content for lung and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
From the Field
American Cancer Society Hosts Food is Medicine in Oncology Care Symposium
Join the American Cancer Society on March 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, for the Food is Medicine in Oncology Care Symposium. The livestream symposium will convene researchers, health care providers, patient advocates, and community leaders to explore the critical role of nutrition in cancer care. Speakers will examine the latest research, explore challenges in food access and payment models, and discuss integrating nutrition into cancer treatment.
Congratulations
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:
Bon Secours Richmond Cancer Institute Richmond, VA
Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital Canton, OH
Cook Children's Medical Center Fort Worth, TX
Good Samaritan Medical Center-Cancer Centers of Colorado Lafayette, CO
HCA Florida Miami-Dade Integrated Cancer Program Miami, FL
Inspira Medical Center Vineland Vineland, NJ
MedStar Health Baltimore Cancer Network Baltimore, MD
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA
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 Breast Center at Midland Memorial Hospital Midland, TX
Summit Health Breast Care Center Berkeley Heights, NJ
