Commission on Cancer

The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer.

By meeting a core set of more than 30 standards that help improve the quality of care through cancer-related programs and activities, participating programs can address the full continuum of care—from prevention to survivorship or end of life.

Nearly 1,400 hospitals and cancer centers are accredited by the CoC in the US and treat diagnoses through a multidisciplinary lens involving surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists.

Hospitals that participate in one of our Quality Programs, including the Commission on Cancer, earn the distinction as an ACS Surgical Quality Partner (SQP).

9%

less mortality rate

79%

more likely to receive guideline-based care

1.5 million

records collected by the NCDB annually with usable data

Apply for Accreditation Find a Hospital

Why Should Your Program Seek or Maintain Accreditation?

CoC-accredited hospitals are dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients. By promoting prevention, treatment, survival, and education through high-quality, comprehensive, cancer care, the CoC also integrates the latest advances in research technology to further improve care received by patients.

With CoC accreditation, hospitals will:

Apply multidisciplinary teams

Why this matters: Evidence shows multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are associated with improved decision making, outcomes, and patient experiences. Medical teams work alongside genetic counselors, mental health professionals, and more to support the needs of the patient.

Invest in continuous quality improvement

Why this matters: High-quality data informs quality improvement and measures the performance of the program. All cancer cases must be submitted to the National Cancer Database (NCDB), which participating hospitals use to compare their quality of care, identify variations, and implement improvements.

Center the patient

Why this matters: Cancer programs that focus on addressing the individual needs of each patient allow for the creation of a tailored plan based on their case and goals from diagnosis to treatment.

Address the full continuum of care

Why this matters: The standards address the entire patient journey from screening and prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship or end of life care. This supports the best possible care for the patient and an improved quality of life.

Apply for Accreditation

Become part of this important network of accredited cancer programs dedicated to delivering high-quality cancer care.

Standards and Resources

Learn more about the requirements for accreditation by downloading Optimal Resources for Cancer Care (2020 Standards).

CoC Cancer Liaison Program

The CoC Cancer Liaison Program is a network of physicians who manage clinically related cancer activities.

CoC Site Reviewers

Learn more about your CoC Site Reviewer’s educational, professional, and personal background and how to become a site review.

About the Commission on Cancer

The Commission on Cancer was established to improve the survival and quality of life for cancer patients.

ACS Cancer Research Programs

CoC Operative Standards Drive Improvements in Cancer Surgery

January 7, 2026

Multi-institutional AESOP studies reveal variation in compliance rates, and future work focus on understanding the drivers of these differences.

Commission on Cancer

Quality Portal

CAnswer Forum

With CoC Accreditation

9%

79%