IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 997 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2022 
Mr. HIGGINS of New York (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. KILMER, and 
Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the American College 
of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the importance 
of Commission on Cancer-accredited programs in ensur-
ing 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 sur-
vival and quality of life for cancer patients through 
standard setting, which promotes cancer prevention, re-
search, education, and monitoring of comprehensive qual-
ity care; 
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Whereas the Commission on Cancer is comprised of individ-
uals and representatives of more than 50 cancer-related 
organizations; 
Whereas the Commission on Cancer establishes standards to 
ensure quality, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive can-
cer 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 edu-
cational 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 Puerto 
Rico; 
Whereas accreditation from the American College of Sur-
geons 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 sup-
port patients with cancer and their families; 
Whereas accreditation allows cancer programs to continually 
evaluate performance and take proactive, corrective ac-
tions when necessary; 
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Whereas continuous evaluation reaffirms the commitment of 
the cancer program to provide high-quality, patient-cen-
tered 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 assure 
that patients receive comprehensive care with a multi-
disciplinary team approach to coordinate the best avail-
able treatment options; 
Whereas patients treated by accredited cancer programs re-
ceive information about ongoing cancer clinical trials and 
new treatment options, and access to a cancer database 
that offers lifelong patient followup; 
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 in-
cluding distress screening, patient navigation, and deliv-
ery of survivorship care plans that detail treatments re-
ceived and provide detailed information on future care 
needs; 
Whereas accreditation requires evaluation of the entire scope, 
organization, and activity of a cancer program by exter-
nal 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 im-
plementation of quality improvements in accredited can-
cer 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 Puerto Rico care for 
approximately 70 percent of newly diagnosed cancer pa-
tients in the United States: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
nizes 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. 
Æ 
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