New CoC Accreditation Supports Excellence in Rural Cancer Care
A newly launched CoC accreditation program aims to help patients in rural communities close gaps in cancer care and outcomes by providing programs with evidence-based standards, resources, and support to strengthen care delivery and recognize high-quality cancer care closer to home.
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Review CoC Standards Updates
The CoC released an updated version of its accreditation standards, Optimal Resources for Cancer Care (2020 Standards), reinforcing its commitment to continuous quality improvement in cancer care. The March 2026 revisions introduce several important enhancements and clarifications designed to support accredited programs. For a comprehensive summary of all revisions, refer to the CoC Standards Changelog. Key updates include:
Standard 4.2: Oncology Nursing Credentials
In addition to the revisions effective on January 1, the March 2026 version of Standard 4.2: Oncology Nursing Credentials adds an option for programs to use an action plan during the annual review if the program is not meeting its policy or Standard 4.2 requirements.
The organization and formatting of the standard were also updated to clarify the existing requirements. No other substantive changes have been made. The implementation timeline for this standard remains the same. The FAQs has been extensively updated to answer common program questions.
Standards 5.1, 5.9, and 7.1
Standards 5.1, 5.9, and 7.1 were updated to clarify that any required action plans are included with the internal audit when presented to the cancer committee and included in cancer committee meeting minutes.
Operative Standards 5.3–5.6
Standards 5.3–5.6 were updated as follows:
- Added language to clarify that if a program performs less than 30 cases that meet the scope of the standard, all applicable cases need to be reviewed as part of the internal audit
- Updated Documentation section to include cancer committee meeting minutes documenting the audit and any necessary action plans
- Updated Measure of Compliance section to clarify that the cancer committee report must meet the requirements from “Standards Requiring Annual Review”
Standard 6.1: Cancer Registry Quality Control
The Specifications by Category for Integrated Network Cancer Programs and NCI Networks for Standard 6.1 have been updated. Previous language was subject to multiple interpretations, and as a result, the requirements have been clarified to better accomplish the goals of this standard.
Rural Cancer Program Specifications
The recently released rural cancer program requirements were added to the Specifications by Category section.
Questions on any of these updates may be submitted to the CAnswer Forum.
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 CLPs through national surveys.
The Cancer Liaison Physicians (CLPs) at programs undergoing CoC accreditation site visits in July 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 $50 gift card upon completion of the survey.
Learn more about the AESOP study in the January issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, in which authors discuss the aims and progress of the program.
Contact AESOP@facs.org with any questions.
