National Quality Forum Endorses Commission

 

The Surgical Specialists of Spokane adhere to these guidelines . . .

 

National Quality Forum Endorses Commission on Cancer Measures for Quality of Cancer Care for Breast and Colon Cancer

 

April 12, 2007

 

The National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsement of Commission on Cancer quality of care measures for breast and colon cancer became effective today. These are the first nationally recognized hospital-based performance measures for quality of care for breast and colon cancer and include:

• Radiation therapy is administered within 1 year (365 days) of diagnosis for women under age 70 receiving breast conserving surgery for breast cancer.
• Combination chemotherapy is considered or administered within 4 months (120 days) of diagnosis for women under 70 with AJCC T1cN0M0, or Stage II or III hormone receptor negative breast cancer.
• Tamoxifen or third generation aromatase inhibitor is considered or administered within 1 year (365 days) of diagnosis for women with AJCC T1cN0M0, or Stage II or III hormone receptor positive breast cancer.

Adjuvant chemotherapy is considered or administered within 4 months (120 days) of diagnosis for patients under the age of 80 with AJCC Stage III (lymph node positive) colon cancer.

 

Through a parallel process, the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) developed a similar set of measures for breast and colon cancer. Facilitated by the NQF, the CoC, ASCO, and NCCN have synchronized their developed measures to ensure that a unified set are put forth to the public.

 

In addition to the measures endorsed by the NQF, the CoC, ASCO, and the NCCN have developed and agreed upon specifications for the following two colorectal cancer measures:

• At least 12 regional lymph nodes are removed and pathologically examined for resected colon cancer.
• Radiation therapy is considered or administered within 6 months (180 days) of diagnosis for patients under the age of 80 of with clinical or pathologic AJCC T4N0M0 or Stage III receiving surgical resection for rectal cancer.