CoC Member since 1953
The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Its mission is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer.
Since 1913, the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons have worked together to significantly improve the quality of cancer care in the United States. In 1922, when the American College of Surgeons developed the Commission on Cancer (CoC) with the goal of decreasing the morbidity and mortality of patients with cancer by delivering the earliest possible diagnosis and best possible care wherever they live, the American Cancer Society stood shoulder to shoulder in support of this effort. That mission and goal still ring true today and the organizations still stand side by side in the effort to bring the best possible and highest quality care to cancer patients.
From the first CoC accredited program in 1931 until today, the American Cancer Society has applauded the innovation and transformative approach of the CoC to continue to revise and expand accreditation standards to reflect the comprehensive scope of cancer programs, the multi-disciplinary nature of cancer care, and the continuous changes in the health care environment. Every patient deserves quality cancer care, and the American Cancer Society is proud to support an organization that shares this value. It is no surprise that while CoC accredited hospitals represent 30 percent of all institutions in the U.S., they treat more than 70 percent of all new cancer cases diagnosed annually.
Between 1926 and 1988 the CoC and the American Cancer Society partnered on four pivotal initiatives together, including an approval program for cancer care clinics, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), the Cancer Liaison Physician program, and the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Our partnership throughout history and the advancements that have been made can’t be overstated; from the inception of both organizations, we have transformed the landscape of cancer prevention, treatment, and care, together.
The American Cancer Society and CoC partnership has provided the opportunity for meaningful collaboration at the national, state, and local level to achieve the common goal of improving cancer care in every community and addressing health inequities. American Cancer Society representation on the local cancer committees continues to enhance our ability to combine resources and partner on initiatives that address the CoC accreditation standards, from prevention to survivorship and end-of-life care. In addition, the CoC State Chairs, Cancer Liaison Physicians and American Cancer Society staff play key roles within their state CDC-funded Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalitions by lending their expertise and resources to address the specific cancer needs within their states.
The CoC accreditation process provides guidance, structure, and education to cancer programs across the country, allowing cancer patients to receive high-quality care regardless of where they live. The accreditation standards cover the full spectrum of patient-centered care from cancer prevention/screening to survivorship. The NCDB is instrumental in surveillance and health services research conducted to advance the mission of the American Cancer Society. NCDB has been used to evaluate patterns of care, disparities, and the impact of policy changes on access to cancer care and cancer outcomes throughout the cancer care continuum.
