• setting standards for hospitals and other cancer care facilities
• evaluating the resources and the quality of care these facilities provide to patients
• studying patterns of patient care and outcomes

The CoC recognizes hospitals and health care facilities that have cancer programs offering high-quality cancer care. Receiving care at a CoC-approved cancer program hospital or facility ensures that you will receive:

• quality care close to home
• comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
• a multispecialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available
• access to cancer-related information, education, and support
• a cancer registry that collects data on cancer type, stage, and treatment results, and that offers lifelong patient follow-up
• ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
• information about ongoing cancer clinical trials and new treatment options

CoC approval is given only to those facilities that have committed to provide the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment. To meet the standards necessary for CoC approval, each cancer program, and the organization that controls it, must undergo a rigorous evaluation and performance review. In order to maintain approval, facilities with approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years. (Detailed information about the approval process can be found at www.facs.org or by calling the Commission on Cancer at 312-202-5085.

The CoC encourages hospitals, treatment centers, and other facilities to improve their quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs. These programs focus on prevention, early diagnosis, pretreatment evaluation, staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, surveillance for recurrent disease and multiple primary tumors, psychosocial support, and care at the end of life.

Currently there are about 1,400 CoC-approved cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing close to 25% of all hospitals.

Public Information Provided by the Commission on Cancer

The American Cancer Society and the Commission on Cancer are working together to provide patients and their families with information about cancer treatment facilities in their communities. Most of the cancer care facilities approved by the Commission on Cancer have voluntarily provided information about their cancer program resources and services and annual cancer caseload—information that is shared here in this database.

The information provided on this site includes a list of CoC-approved cancer care facilities and their experience with diagnosing and treating specific cancers, as well as summaries of the equipment, cancer care professionals, and specific services available at each institution.

The American Cancer Society and the Commission on Cancer have prepared a glossary to help you in understanding some of the medical terms described here.