Frequently Asked Questions about the Commission on Cancer

The Quality Portal (QPort) is a standard online system for managing accreditation program activities.

The Pre-Review Questionnaire (PRQ) is the application that provides necessary information and documentation for site reviewers to assess compliance with the standards. The PRQ must be completed and submitted by programs, with all appropriate documents uploaded, 60 calendar days before the confirmed site visit. The PRQ will only be accessible to programs beginning in the Fall before the year of the site visit. The PRQ will not be available during non-site visit years. The PRQ is accessed by programs in the Quality Portal.

CAnswer Forum is an interactive, virtual bulletin board designed as an open forum to provide guidance and answer questions regarding Optimal Resources for Cancer Care (2020 Standards). It can also be used for networking and discussion of accreditation standards, cancer data collection and cancer staging, and other relevant topics. Users may ask questions and search topics and must complete a one-time registration where they will create a username and password to access the forum.

Yes, network accreditation is available for facilities belonging to an organization that owns a group of facilities offering integrated and comprehensive cancer care services and is overseen by a centralized governance structure/board and CEO. Questions regarding networks can be sent via email to coc@facs.org with “Network questions” in the subject line. 

Yes. If your program is not currently accredited, a new program application must be submitted after one full calendar year. For example, if a withdrawal or a Not Accredited award occurs in 2026, a new application cannot be submitted until 2028.

Information about reaccreditation processes may be found in the Resources section of the Quality Portal.

Specific requirements for compliance based on your cancer program category can be found under the Specifications by Category section, in the back of the standards manual. 

The accreditation process for new programs can be found on the Accreditation page on the CoC website.

A program that has never been accredited or a previously accredited program whose accreditation lapsed or withdrew from the accreditation process.

The Company ID for a program reapplying for accreditation will remain the same. If any information has changed since its previous accreditation, your program can submit a Site Information Change Request or update the site profile in QPort.

No, these will not be available until after the program has paid the initial accreditation fee and received full access to QPort. However, programs may purchase the CoC Optimal Resources for Cancer Care Gap Analysis Tool, which provides access to many resources and all required templates for the accreditation process. 

Yes. Resources to assist programs with preparation include:

• CAnswer Forum
• CoC Optimal Resources for Cancer Care Gap Analysis Tool
• Educational Webinars and Conference Materials

No, there is no application fee to apply for accreditation. However, programs are billed the annual accreditation fee upon application.

The initial accreditation fee for a new program is the same as the current annual accreditation fee. However, there is a $1,000 fee for an in-person site visit.

Current fees may be requested by emailing coc@facs.org with “Accreditation fees” in the subject line.

Programs should be prepared to be visited within 6 months of the approval of the application. Applications should not be submitted until the program has a calendar year of compliance.

Questions may be sent to coc@facs.org with “New program application/questions” in the subject line.

No, all initial site visits must be in person.

Applications must be submitted by June 30 to have an initial site visit scheduled in the same year.

Once the initial application fee has been processed, programs will receive notification that full access to QPort has been granted and four preferred site visit dates can be submitted at that time.

The initial site visit will review cancer cases for patients who underwent procedures for Standards 5.3 through 5.8 at the program within the last calendar year.

Specifications for programs undergoing an initial site visit, including any exempt standards, may be found under the Specifications by Category section in the back of the standards manual. 

Before Accredited status is granted, corrective action must be completed for any non-compliant standards noted in the accreditation report. Programs undergoing an initial site review that have five (5) or more non-compliant standards will be rated Not Accredited and will need to reapply after 1 calendar year.

Monthly submissions to the Rapid Cancer Reporting System must begin within 30 days of the notification of Accredited status and must include two years’ worth of abstracted data. Refer to the National Cancer Database for more information as you prepare for submissions.

Rapid Cancer Reporting System (RCRS) is the single source of data submission for all CoC-accredited hospital registries. RCRS is the source of both historical and real-time data used to assess quality measure performance. A case log report and alerts summaries assist registries with data quality efforts and treatment follow up. Additional information will be provided after your program obtains accreditation.