Cancer program annual report 2010 - Evangelical Community Hospital

2009 Colorectal Cancer Data Analysis for Evangelical Community Hospital
The Cancer Committee at Evangelical Community Hospital,
as part of the Hospital’s ongoing effort to improve
cancer care, performs annual analyses of cancer-specific
data to assess the effectiveness of treatments provided.
Such analyses are strongly advocated by the American College
of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) so that the institution
can objectively compare its outcomes with nationally recognized
benchmarks. The goal of this undertaking is to demonstrate both
strengths and weaknesses in the institution’s treatment processes
in an effort to improve patient care and survival outcomes.
With respect to colorectal cancer,
the CoC has developed three quality
measures that have been documented in
the medical literature to improve survival
outcomes for colon and rectal cancer:
1. At least 12 regional lymph nodes are
removed and pathologically examined
for resected colon cancer.
2. Adjuvant chemotherapy is considered
or administered within four months
(120 days) of diagnosis for patients
under the age of 80 with American
Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)
Stage III (lymph node positive) colon
cancer.
3. Radiation therapy is considered or
administered within six months (180
days) of diagnosis to patients under the
age of 80 who have been diagnosed
with AJCC T4N0M0 or Stage III rectal
cancer and who are receiving surgical
therapy for said cancer.
The following data analysis targets the
above numbered quality measures and
also presents a broad overview of the
spectrum of colon and rectal cancer
treated at Evangelical during 2009.
10