Cancer Programs News: May 29

New Committee Membership and Leadership Openings Are Available

Committee Membership

The Commission on Cancer (CoC), National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), and National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) are accepting applications for new volunteers for committee membership. Applicants must be ACS Fellows. Applications will be accepted starting May 30 and new members will be announced in the fall.

New committee members are appointed to a 3-year term and are eligible for re-appointment to a second 3-year term based on performance, which includes a formal assessment of meeting attendance and engagement. Candidates interested in committee membership on the CoC, NAPRC, or NAPBC may submit a Committee Member Application Form.

Additionally, the Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) is also seeking volunteers for committee membership. Individuals may apply here.

Committee Leadership

This year’s committee leader openings include:

• American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Program Chair / Executive Committee Vice Chair
• AJCC Program Vice Chair / Executive Committee Chair
• CSSP Standards Development Committee Chair
• CSSP Standards Development Committee Vice Chair
• NAPRC Executive Committee Chair
• NAPRC Executive Committee Vice Chair
• NAPRC Accreditation Committee Chair

Candidates for committee chair and vice chair roles must be current members of the committee. Candidates for committee chair must have served in a leadership role within the committee, typically as vice chair (some exceptions may apply). Applicants must also be Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. Interested candidates should review and submit the Committee Leader Application Form. The application period will be open from May 30 through June 30.  New leaders will be announced in the fall.

Committee chairs are appointed to a two-year, nonrenewable term. Committee vice chairs are appointed to a 1-year term, with a one-time renewal option.

For questions about the new committee membership and leadership opportunities, contact cpmembership@facs.org.

Sign Up for Small Group QI Coaching Calls

Would you like to discuss your program’s quality improvement (QI) initiative or learn what other programs are considering for the year? Are you looking for individual feedback on a QI question?

Join a small group of accredited programs and QI experts to share feedback on current initiatives, discuss ideas for future projects, and review the QI tools available to your program. Other peer programs will be in attendance to offer ideas and feedback. Come prepared with your problem statement or questions.

To keep the calls small and conversational, we are registering approximately 20 people at a time, and your name will be kept on the list for future sessions (approximately 1-2 sessions run per month).

Please complete this survey, and you will be sent a registration link.

 You can also email questions or QI project ideas ahead of time to cancerqi@facs.org.

Raise Awareness on National Cancer Survivors Day

The Commission on Cancer (CoC), National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), and National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) encourage your site to promote National Cancer Survivors Day on June 1. ACS Cancer Programs has developed customizable posters that can be downloaded from your site’s Quality Portal (QPort).

Contact coc@facs.org, napbc@facs.org, or naprc@facs.org with any questions.

SNOMED International and the ACS Renew Agreement for AJCC

Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) International has renewed its agreement with the ACS, through its American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) program. The renewed 3-year agreement advances both organizations’ commitment to improving the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients globally.

Read more.

Register Today for Technical Standards for Colon Cancer Webinar

The Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) will host an educational webinar for surgeons on the technical standards for colon cancer surgery on Tuesday, June 3, at 5:00 pm CT. The Technical Standards for Colon Cancer Surgery webinar will review evidence-based operative standards for the performance of colon surgery as outlined in the Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, Volume 1.

The speakers will present on abdominal exploration, extent of the mobilization, achieving a regional lymphadenectomy, managing multivisceral resection, and lymphadenectomy beyond the primary distribution as endorsed by the ACS Cancer Research Program and CSSP. The discussion will include insights into clinical management of colon cancer through case study review.

Surgeons attending the webinar will receive continuing medical education credits. We encourage staff at Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer programs to share this information with surgeons, trainees, and fellows with an interest in colon cancer surgery. Registration is required to attend this webinar.

For more information, contact CSSP@facs.org.

Breast Cancer Webinar Recording Is Now Available

On May 6, the Cancer Surgery Standards Program and ACS International Relations Committee co-hosted the Operative Standards for Breast Cancer webinar. Thank you to the speakers and to everyone who was able to attend. We hope you gained valuable insights and a better understanding of the technical standards and techniques for breast cancer surgery.

The recording is now available on YouTube for those who were unable to attend the webinar or wish to view it again.

For more information about the CoC Operative Standards and the Operative Standards manuals, please use the links listed below.

Operative Standards Toolkit

Operative Standards Manuals

Protocols for Cancer Surgery Documentation

Dr. Kirstein Discusses Goals, Strategies in May Bulletin

In the May issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS, discussed her goals for her 2-year term as Chair of the Commission on Cancer (CoC). Her priorities include expanding CoC accreditation to reach more cancer patients, demonstrating the impact of accreditation on oncologic outcomes, and increasing engagement among CoC members. Initiatives such as Breaking Barriers and rural program accreditation aim to improve access to high-quality cancer care. Additionally, Dr. Kirstein emphasizes the importance of mentorship, research, and collaboration to strengthen the CoC’s role in advancing surgical oncology.

CoC Will Retire Breast-Conserving Surgery Quality Measure

On or before June 16, the Commission on Cancer (CoC) will retire the quality measure “For patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery without adjuvant chemo or immunotherapy for stage I-III breast cancer, radiation therapy, when administered, is initiated less than or equal to 60 days of definitive surgery.” The full details are available on the Retired Quality Measures webpage.

CoC Offers Resources for CoC-Pediatric Specialty Accreditation

Does your Commission on Cancer (CoC) program take care of both adult and pediatric patients with cancer? The CoC-Pediatric Specialty (CoC-PS) accreditation recognizes the special care provided to pediatric patients within CoC-accredited hospitals. A site is eligible for this accreditation status if it provides care to children and adolescents under the age of 18 and offers a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for pediatric patients either onsite or by referral. A site that cares only for adolescent-aged or older patients is not eligible.

To assist with planning for this accreditation designation the CoC offers resources, including refreshed versions of the Frequently Asked Questions and Guidelines for Seeking CoC-Pediatric Specialty Accreditation. A new resource, Site Visit Instructions and Agenda, is also available. All three documents can be accessed on the Quality Portal Resources page. Please contact coc@facs.org if you would like to discuss the eligibility of your program.

CoC Research Paper Competition Is Accepting Submissions

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is now accepting submissions from physicians in training for the 2025 Research Paper Competition. Categories for submission are clinical research and basic science. The first-place winners will receive a $1,000 honorarium and an opportunity to present their papers at the CoC’s Plenary Session during the 2025 Clinical Congress in October. Second- and third-place winners 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 by July 7.

Register Today for NAPBC Webinar on De-Escalation of Breast Cancer Therapy

Register for the next National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) webinar at 3:00 pm CT on June 18, De-escalation of Breast Cancer Therapy: Bringing Medical, Radiation Surgical Oncology Together in Patient-Centered Care.

Speakers will discuss recent clinical trials results that support the de-escalation of treatment for specific groups of patients with breast cancer. Conservative treatment can be both safe and effective and results in fewer complications and sequelae that affect the patient’s quality of life.

The webinar is intended for all members of the cancer care team, and offers one Continuing Medical Education credit for physicians and one continuing education credit from both the National Cancer Registrars Association and California Board of Registered Nursing.

FORCE Offers New Research and Enrollment Tool

Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) offers a research search and enrollment tool that connects individuals with inherited mutations to relevant research studies. FORCE prioritizes studies that are focused on advancing treatment, prevention, and quality of life for those with hereditary cancer. Featured research studies on the organization’s website  include guidance on who is eligible to participate, as well as study locations and contact information.

Cancer Support Community Sponsors Survey for Cancer Patients and Survivors

The Cancer Support Community is conducting an online study to understand the experience of metastatic breast cancer patients treated with injectable hormone therapy compared with those treated with oral endocrine therapy. The study will specifically examine experienced challenges, benefits, and preferences between these two administration methods.

Cancer patients and survivors are invited to participate in the study. More information, including eligibility requirements, are available on the Cancer Support Community website.

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:

Advocate Aurora Greater Milwaukee and Southern WI INCP
Milwaukee, WI

Atrium Health Navicent
Macon, GA

BSA Health System
Amarillo, TX

Covenant Health
Knoxville, TN

Franciscan Health Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN

HSHS St. Elizabeth's Hospital
O’Fallon, IL

UF Health Jacksonville (Shands Jacksonville Medical Center)
Jacksonville, FL

Memorial Hospital of Carbondale
Carbondale, IL

Mount Sinai Medical Center
Miami Beach, FL

Mount Sinai South Nassau
Oceanside, NY

Parkview Cancer Institute
Fort Wayne, IN

Saint Luke's Health System
Kansas City, MO

Sanford Medical Center
Bismarck, ND

UF Health Jacksonville (Shands Jacksonville Medical Center)
Jacksonville, FL

Wake Forest Baptist Health, Hayworth Cancer Center
High Point, NC

White Plains Hospital Center
White Plains, NY

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center
San Francisco, CA

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:

Allegheny Health Network - Jefferson Hospital
Jefferson Hills, VA

Danbury Hospital
Danbury, CT

Fairview Hospital Breast Health Center
Cleveland, OH

Franciscan St. Francis Breast Center
Indianapolis, IN

Lehigh Valley Hospital, Inc.
Allentown, PA

Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Medical Center, Inc.
La Crosse, WI

Reinsch Pierce Family Center for Breast Health at VHC Health
Arlington, VA

UHS Breast Center
Vestal, NY

UMass Memorial Comprehensive Breast Center
Worcester, MA

NAPRC Recognizes Accredited Site

The ACS 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:

John Muir Health Concord Medical Center
Concord, CA

Mark Your Calendars

June 3: Technical Standards for Colon Cancer Surgery (Colectomy)

June 18: NAPBC: Current Concepts in De-Escalation: Surgery, Medical Oncology, and Radiation Oncology

July 15: NAPRC: Tools and Resources

July 17–20: ACS Quality and Safety Conference, San Diego, CA

August 19: NAPRC Site Visit Process: Success Using the New Standards

September 18: NAPBC: MRI and Imaging Webinar

October 4–7: ACS Clinical Congress 2025, Chicago, IL

October 21: NAPRC: QI for NAPRC Programs

November 13: NAPBC: Auxiliary Surgical Management

November 18: NAPRC: Case Studies and Process Improvement: Promoting Success in NAPRC Programs