Title: A 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.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution commemorates the 100th anniversary of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. The commission establishes cancer care standards in health care settings and accredits cancer programs that meet those standards.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 566 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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 Cancer-
 accredited programs in ensuring comprehensive, high-quality, patient-
                         centered 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;
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;
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 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
    Resolved, That the Senate recognizes 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.
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