New Editorial on Commission on Cancer Standards 5.3 & 5.4 (Breast) Published in Surgery

In an editorial recently published in Surgery, “Operative standards for sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer: Review of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Standards 5.3 and 5.4,” authors from the Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) review the objectives of the CoC Operative Standards with a specific focus on Standards 5.3 and 5.4, which pertain to sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. The article reviews the details and rationale of the standard itself, including its focus on evidence-based best practices and its requirement to include specific elements and responses in synoptic format in operative reports. We encourage staff at CoC accredited facilities to review and share with providers at their facility who are performing these procedures. Questions can be directed to cssp@facs.org.