Cancer Programs News: May 14

Learn About Cancer QI and More at the ACS QSCC

Join us at the 2026 ACS Quality, Safety & Cancer Conference (QSCC), July 30–August 2 in Orlando, Florida, to learn more about quality improvement (QI) initiatives and the latest standards updates.

Presenters at the Hot Topics in Cancer QI: Collaborations session will explore how partnerships across disciplines, roles, and institutions are advancing cancer QI and driving more coordinated, effective care.

Attendees will gain insight into collaborative approaches for sharing best practices, aligning goals, and strengthening teamwork across cancer programs, along with practical strategies for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and achieving sustainable outcomes. The session will include real-world examples of successful collaborations and provide attendees with actionable ideas to strengthen their own QI initiatives.

The Cancer Accreditation Standards Update: What’s New in CoC, NAPBC, and NAPRC session will provide an overview of the latest updates to accreditation standards across Cancer Programs. Participants will gain clarity on key changes, expectations, and how these updates could impact program operations and compliance efforts.

The Quality Improvement In Action: One Goal, Many Settings: Advancing Quality Across a Diverse Cancer Network session will highlight real-world QI efforts across multidisciplinary teams, from frontline staff to executive leadership. Attendees will hear how collaboration, alignment, and shared goals drive successful initiatives across diverse care settings.

Register now to secure your spot and view the program agenda to start planning your QSCC experience.

GI Cancer Patients Face Critical Insurance Gaps

Employment and insurance disruptions are common among working individuals diagnosed with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. While these gaps are prevalent, the devastating long-term consequences of losing coverage when it's needed the most are not fully understood.

In this video, Timothy Pawlik, MD, MPH, PhD, FACS, discusses his Journal of the American College of Surgeons article, which underscores the need for policies ensuring employment and insurance continuity during care specifically for this patient cohort.

Social Determinants of Health Screening Advances Cancer Care

The role of social determinants of health (SDOH) in cancer care is outlined in the  May issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons.

Limited transportation options, financial strain, and access to support services can significantly impact treatment timeliness and overall patient outcomes.

As recent research published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS) suggests incorporating SDOH screening into routine practice may help improve quality of care and reduce disparities across cancer populations.

Gastric Cancer Surgery Webinar Is Now Available

The Technical Standards for Gastric Cancer Surgery webinar reviews evidence-based operative standards for the performance of gastric cancer surgery as outlined in the Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, Volume 2.

Originally hosted by the Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) on May 6, the webinar addresses intraoperative staging, resection of the primary tumor, assessment of surgical margins, regional lymphadenectomy, and reconstruction options. The webinar also incorporated case-based discussions to highlight key considerations in clinical management.

The webinar recording is available on the CSSP YouTube channel and on the ACS Learning Management System (LMS) for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit.

Any questions regarding the webinar or CME can be directed to CSSP@facs.org. Questions related to the LMS can be directed to cancerprogramsevents@facs.org.

Podcast Explores Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Breast Cancer

In collaboration with the Behind the Knife podcast, the CSSP has released a new episode highlighting sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer. The Behind the Knife limited series delves into the technical aspects of the Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, developed through the ACS Cancer Research Program and CSSP.

Share Your Research: Submissions  for 2026 Research Paper Competition Are Open

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) 2026 Cancer Research Paper Competition for physicians in training is accepting submissions in the categories of clinical research and basic science. Submissions are being accepted through June 8.

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, September 26–29 in Washington, DC. 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.

NAPBC Provides Guidance on Standard 5.9 Compliance

National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) Standard 5.9 Surgical Care requires several activities for demonstrating compliance, including compliance with CoC Standard 5.3 Sentinel Node Biopsy for Breast Cancer and Standard 5.4 Axillary Lymph Node Dissection for Breast Cancer. Compliance for NAPBC-accredited programs that are part of a CoC-accredited hospital is determined during the CoC site review. NAPBC-accredited programs that are independent of a CoC-accredited hospital must also demonstrate compliance.

CoC Standards 5.3 and 5.4 require programs to perform an internal audit to confirm at least 80% compliance with the technical and synoptic reporting requirements of these standards. The audit must include 30 eligible operative reports for each standard. If the program has less than 30 cases, then all applicable cases must be reviewed. Programs are required to use templates provided by the CoC to complete the internal audit. Audit templates are now available for NAPBC-accredited programs on the  QPort Resources page.

For more information on the required internal audit, please refer to the October 16, 2025, issue of Cancer Program News and the CoC Self Audit Webinar.

Study Supports Value of NAPRC Accreditation

In an article published in JAMA Surgery, authors reviewed a study that evaluated whether National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) accreditation is associated with changes in rectal cancer patient volume, stage-specific procedural volumes, and care fragmentation. The findings suggest that NAPRC accreditation offers a pathway for institutions to enhance their visibility, foster comprehensive multidisciplinary care, and strategically grow their cancer programs.

Register for NAPBC Integrative Oncology Webinar

The NAPBC Integrative Oncology: Building, Implementing and Leveraging Services to Improve Patient Care webinar (May 28 at 1:00pm CT) will provide participants with real-world examples and multidisciplinary insights for building and sustaining integrative oncology services.

American Cancer Society Accepting Applications for QIRC Program

The American Cancer Society’s QI Resource Consulting (QIRC) program offers cancer centers a no-cost opportunity to address measurable problems impacting patient access or care. This 6-9-month program pairs centers with an experienced QI coach to address the defined problem using a rigorous approach and methodology.

The deadline to submit the QIRC program application is June 30 at 7:00 pm CT. Successful applicants will be notified by July 22. For questions, email QIResource@cancer.org.

June Is Cancer Rehabilitation Month

This June, Cancer Rehabilitation Month brings global attention to the physical and functional challenges many patients with cancer face after treatment and the rehabilitation services that can help them mitigate these difficulties.

Advances in cancer treatment have led to rising survivorship, but many individuals continue to live with physical, cognitive, emotional, and functional challenges long after treatment ends. Cancer rehabilitation addresses these challenges, helping people regain strength, mobility, independence, participation in daily life, and overall quality of life.

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:

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System
Bay Pines, FL

Camden Clark Medical Center
Parkersburg, WV

Cayuga Medical Center
Ithaca, NY

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH

Dayton Children's Hospital
Dayton, OH

Greenwich Hospital
Greenwich, CT

HCA Healthcare Sarah Cannon Cancer Network at TriStar Integrated Network Cancer Program
Nashville, TN

Mercy Hospital Ada
Ada, OK

Mount Carmel Health
Columbus, OH

MultiCare Health System
Tacoma, WA

Richmond University Medical Center
Staten Island, NY

Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital
Salinas, CA

St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center
Green Bay, WI

University of South Alabama Medical Center
Mobile, AL

NAPBC Recognizes Accredited Site

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

Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas
Beaumont, TX

Cleveland Clinic Florida
Weston, FL

Elliot Breast Health Center
Manchester, NH

Kaiser Permanente Central Valley Breast Care Program
Modesto, CA

Legacy Breast Health Center—Meridian Park
Tualatin, OR

Mary Jo Cropper Family Center for Breast Care
Cincinnati, OH

Mary Washington Healthcare Regional Cancer Center
Fredericksburg, VA

MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
Clinton, MD

Mercy Health—West Hospital
Cincinnati, OH

Center for Breast  Care
Chicago, IL

Mark Your Calendars

May 28: NAPBC Webinar: Integrative Oncology: Building, Implementing, and Leveraging Services to Improve Patient Care Webinar

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

September 26–29: ACS Clinical Congress 2026