III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 566 

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the American College of Surgeons 

Commission on Cancer and the importance of Commission on Canceraccredited programs in ensuring comprehensive, high-quality, patientcentered cancer care. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 29, 2022 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. MARSHALL) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the American College 

of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the importance 

of Commission on Cancer-accredited programs in ensuring comprehensive, high-quality, patient-centered cancer 

care. 

Whereas the Commission on Cancer was established by the 

American College of Surgeons in 1922 as a consortium 

of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through 

standard setting, which promotes cancer prevention, research, education, and monitoring of comprehensive quality care; 


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Whereas the Commission on Cancer is comprised of individuals and representatives of more than 50 cancer-related 

organizations; 

Whereas the Commission on Cancer establishes standards to 

ensure quality, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive cancer care delivery in health care settings; 

Whereas the Commission on Cancer conducts surveys in 

health care settings to assess compliance with those 

standards; 

Whereas the Commission on Cancer collects standardized 

data from Commission on Cancer-accredited health care 

settings to measure cancer care quality; 

Whereas the Commission on Cancer uses data to monitor 

treatment patterns and outcomes, and enhance cancer 

control and clinical surveillance activities; 

Whereas the Commission on Cancer develops effective educational interventions to improve cancer prevention, early 

detection, cancer care delivery, and outcomes in health 

care settings; 

Whereas the Commission on Cancer has accredited more than 

1,500 cancer programs in the United States and the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 

Whereas accreditation from the American College of Surgeons is a voluntary commitment by a cancer program 

that ensures patients will have access to the full scope of 

services required to diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, and support patients with cancer and their families; 

Whereas accreditation allows cancer programs to continually 

evaluate performance and take proactive, corrective actions when necessary; 


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Whereas continuous evaluation reaffirms the commitment of 

the cancer program to provide high-quality, patient-centered cancer care; 

Whereas accreditation is regarded as important in improving 

oncologic outcomes through compliance with standards 

that include continuous quality improvement; 

Whereas quality standards required for accreditation ensure 

that patients receive comprehensive care with a multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best available treatment options; 

Whereas patients treated by accredited cancer programs receive information about ongoing cancer clinical trials and 

new treatment options and access to a cancer database 

that offers lifelong patient follow-up; 

Whereas accreditation promotes access to prevention and 

early detection programs, cancer education, and support 

services; 

Whereas patients treated in accredited cancer programs have 

access to the full continuum of patient-centered care, including distress screening, patient navigation, and delivery of survivorship care plans that detail treatments received and provide detailed information on future care 

needs; 

Whereas accreditation requires evaluation of the entire scope, 

organization, and activity of a cancer program by external peer review from specially trained surveyors who 

evaluate compliance with stringent standards designed to 

promote high-quality care; 

Whereas the quality reporting tools from the over 30,000,000 

cases reported to the Commission on Cancer’s National 

Cancer Database provide feedback needed to initiate 


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quality improvement studies, which ultimately lead to implementation of quality improvements in accredited cancer programs; 

Whereas the cancer accreditation programs of the American 

College of Surgeons use data submitted to such Database 

to verify and improve quality of care in cancer programs 

and to further scientific research; and 

Whereas the American College of Surgeons accredited cancer 

programs in the United States and the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico care for approximately 70 percent of newly 

diagnosed cancer patients in the United States: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the 100th anni2 versary of the American College of Surgeons Commission 

3 on Cancer and the importance of Commission on Cancer4 accredited programs in ensuring comprehensive, high5 quality, patient-centered cancer care. 

Æ 


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