Local Physician Appointed to Commission on Cancer From the Commission on Cancer, Chicago, Ill. Roy R. Hall M.D., of Havre recently received a three-year appointment as the Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at NMH. Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer program accredited by the American college of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Dr. Hall is among a national net-work of over 1,600 volunteer physicians who are responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain and support their facilities' cancer program. Dr. Hall who has a significant interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant diseases, is a member of the multidisciplinary cancer committee at NMH, an institution which is dedicated to facilitating the delivery of comprehensive quality cancer care. Cancer Liaison Physicians are responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives within their cancer program; collaborating with local agencies, such as the American Cancer Society; and facilitating quality improvement initiatives utilizing data submitted to the CoC's national Cancer Database. The CoC collects data from its approved cancer programs and provides tools back to these facilities to facilitate the analysis of patterns of diagnosis and treatment. The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment and outcome information for over 21 million malignant cancers diagnosed and treated at hospital-cancer programs in the U.S. between 1985 and 2005. These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. each year. The Cancer Liaison Physician works with the cancer program staff to facilitate the submission, presentation, use and interpretation of NCDB data. Analyzing and sharing these data with the cancer committee can have a positive impact on cancer patient care at the facility. In an effort to assist the more than 1.3 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year, Cancer Liaison Physicians at CoC-accredited programs also facilitate participation in the commission's Facility Information Profile System. FIPS is a data-sharing activity between the CoC and the ACS, which provides the public with information about resources, services and annual cancer caseload at CoC-accredited facilities. These data are shared with the public through the ACS national Cancer Information Center at (800) ACS-2345 and Web site at http://www.cancer.org. The CoC is a consortium of 42 professional organizations dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients. The commission achieves its goal through standard setting, cancer prevention, research and educational activities, as well as monitoring comprehensive quality care. Its members includes national organizations representing the full spectrum of cancer care and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. The commission's core function include establishing standards to ensure the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary and comprehensive cancer care in health care settings; surveying facilities to access compliance with those standards; collecting standardized data from accredited facilities to measure quality; using data to monitor treatment patterns, support cancer control and enhance clinical surveillance activities; and developing effective educational interventions to improve outcomes at the national, state, and local levels. There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and approximately 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients are treated in these institutions. For more information on the Cancer Liaison Program and the Commission on Cancer, contact the Commission on Cancer at the American College of Surgeons, 633 N. Saint Clair St., Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 202-5085; or visit http://www.facs.org/cancer. |