This message was sent to ##Email## February 8, 2018     Home  |   About   Subscribe  |   Archive  |   Advertise    HEALTH CARE NEWS AND UPDATES An enhanced recovery program for colorectal surgery patients reduced total hospital costs and improved patient outcomes ACS A standardized protocol for managing patients immediately before, during and after colorectal operations not only improved clinical outcomes, it also significantly reduced overall hospital costs. One of the first studies to investigate hospital costs associated with an enhanced recovery pathway for colorectal patients was published online as an “article in press” on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print publication. “The enhanced recovery protocol provides clinical benefit by allowing surgical patients to recover quicker, use less narcotic medication and have a smoother recovery that gets them out of the hospital and hopefully back to work sooner. This study shows there is financial benefit from using the standardized pathway as well,” said study author Ian Paquette, MD, FACS, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.  READ MORE Can pregnancy help scientists better understand cancer? Scientific American Stvetomir Markovic knew something was different. Sometime around 2010, a fellow scientist at the Mayo Clinic had agreed to donate her healthy blood for use in the research laboratory where Markovic studies the interface between cancer and the immune system. In previous testing of the woman’s blood, her immune cells functioned normally. But then something changed, and nobody knew why.  READ MORE    SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Immunogen, Inc. Mirvetuximab soravtansine, a folate receptor alpha-targeting investigational agent being evaluated in ovarian cancer FORWARD I: A phase 3 study of mirvetuximab soravtansine in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer FORWARD II: Clinical trial evaluating mirvetuximab soravtansine combination therapies in ovarian cancer   Developing new cancer treatments is vitally important, but so is looking after cancer survivors Forbes World Cancer Day has once again been and gone. The annual campaign brought with it a flurry of fundraising, awareness drives, international and local news articles and countless tweets, posts, likes and shares on social media. Many research-centered posts by academic institutions, funders and biotech companies focused on the hope of new treatments and the innovative solutions being investigated, all at various stages of the lengthy research pipeline. Most of the personal stories shared on blogs, social media and by charities featured those who have been lost along with some of the optimism about these new treatments. But an increasingly large proportion of those driving this traffic online are cancer survivors, not only talking about their experience of having had cancer but how it continues to affect them.  READ MORE Bladder cancer: Model predicts survival after immunotherapy Medscape A prognostic model based on six clinical factors can help predict overall survival in patients with advanced urothelial cancer who are treated with the anti–programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq, Roche) after platinum-based therapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved five new immunotherapies for advanced UC that has progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy, including atezolizumab.  READ MORE    PRODUCT SHOWCASE Advertisement Wiley's Oncology Apps Enjoy our journals? There’s an app for those! Journals such as those from the American Cancer Society ™, Journal of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Science and more are now available for your iPad and iPhone. Sample issues and abstracts, as well as open articles, can be accessed for free. A subscription to the journal is required to read the full text. Click here to learn more! Lymphoceles: A contemporary review and an approach for prevention Renal & Urology News Most prostatectomies are now being done with concomitant lymphadenectomy. A few factors are responsible. First, urologists are increasingly comfortable offering active surveillance for very-low-risk and most low-risk prostate cancers, all but removing them from the surgical realm. In a National Cancer Database study, 70 percent of prostatectomies were accompanied by pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) in 2010–2011, and we suspect this number has only risen since.  READ MORE Flu virus could be used to treat pancreatic cancer, researchers find The Independent A modified form of the common flu virus has been reprogrammed to hunt down and attack pancreatic cancer tumors, but leave healthy cells unharmed. Scientists were also able to show that the virus could be injected into the bloodstream to kill cancer cells, which may have spread to other parts of the body in more advanced forms of the disease. “The new virus specifically infects and kills pancreatic cancer cells, causing few side effects in nearby healthy tissue,” said lead author, Dr. Stella Man, from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University London (QMUL), who described it as “selective and effective.”  READ MORE .  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Help Doctors Without Borders Today Donate now to help Doctors Without Borders bring emergency medical care where it is needed most. Doctors Without Borders USA relies on unrestricted donations from private donors so when an emergency strikes we assess the needs and can act fast. Donate today. Screening beyond those with cancer history may be more effective Cure As genetic testing becomes more accessible with advanced technology and decreased costs, population-based testing for breast and ovarian cancer may be more cost effective in the long run, according to study results published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute. To identify mutation carriers at an elevated risk for breast and ovarian cancer, typically those with personal or family history are tested. While this is helpful, there is still a large amount of women who are at risk and never tested, and by the time they find out, it is too late.  READ MORE     .  SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT     Relatively unknown gene linked to early emergence of blood diseases ScienceDaily Researchers have discovered the contribution of a specific gene in the proper development of blood cells that give rise to hematopoietic stem cells. The findings identify a potential target for the development of treatments for some types of leukemia, anemia and other blood disorders.  READ MORE Potential new treatment identified for drug-resistant skin cancer Medical Xpress Stanford researchers have learned how basal cell carcinoma evades drug treatment without mutating. The researchers found possible drug targets that may allow for more personalized treatment of this common skin cancer. Over half of newly diagnosed advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinomas are resistant to currently approved drug treatments. Yet many of these skin cancers harbor no known resistance-associated genetic mutations, leaving researchers and clinicians wondering how they manage to evade treatment.  READ MORE  ACS CANCER PROGRAMS UPDATES American College of Surgeons membership isn't just for surgeons and residents — cancer program administrators and cancer registrars can join too! ACS Realize the potential of your profession and become an Affiliate Member of the American College of Surgeons. Affiliate members receive a variety of member benefits including: Free, online access to the Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons Access to practice management and patient education resources Discounted rates for ACS educational programs and products including the annual Clinical Congress Participation in the ACS-sponsored insurance programs Access to an on-line Community of other Affiliate Members Access to the members-only side of the ACS Website at facs.org Here’s what you’ll need to apply: Your current contact information Information about your current employment Details about your education and certification A reference from a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons The Affiliate Member application fee is $50 which covers your first year of membership. Annual dues are then $100 annually. Join the more than 80,000 members who are shaping the future of surgical care. Click here to join today. For questions, contact enroll@facs.org.  READ MORE ACS releases Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is pleased to announce that Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety is now available for purchase. This manual is intended to serve as a trusted resource for surgical leaders seeking to improve patient care in their institutions, departments and practices. It introduces key concepts in quality, safety and reliability and explores the essential elements that all hospitals should have in place to ensure the delivery of patient-centered care. Specific topics covered include the following: the domains and phases of surgical care, peer and case review, responsibilities of the Surgical Quality Officer, institutional infrastructure, privileging and credentialing, high reliability, applications to the unique surgical disciplines, data analytics, clinical practice guidelines, quality collaboratives and education and training. The manual also includes a look at some of the “soft skills” that influence quality and safety in health care, as well as the individual surgeon’s responsibility to the patient, colleagues and the next generation of surgeons. Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety is available for $44.95 (includes shipping) for single copies (up to a quantity of nine) or $39.95 (includes shipping) for per copy for 10 copies or more on the ACS website. SRGS: Surgical Infection America College of Surgeons The latest issue of the American College of Surgeons Selected Readings in General Surgery (SRGS), Surgical Infection, explores the most critical surgical approaches to controlling infection, including surgeon participation in multidisciplinary infection management teams, an enhanced understanding of emerging pathogens and resistant bacteria, timely diagnosis and effective initial therapy.  READ MORE NCDB PUF application period closes Feb. 23 NCDB The National Cancer Database (NCDB) is pleased to announce that the Participant User File (PUF) application will be open through Feb. 23. The NCDB will accept applications for site-specific files, which include cases diagnosed between 2004 and 2015. The NCDB PUF is a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant data file containing cases submitted to the Commission on Cancer's (CoC) NCDB and complies with the terms of the Business Associate Agreement between the American College of Surgeons and cancer programs accredited by the CoC; i.e., no patients or facilities can be identified. The PUF is designed to provide investigators at CoC-accredited cancer programs with a data resource they can use to review and advance the quality of care delivered to cancer patients through analyses of cases reported to the NCDB. For more information review the PUF Website. Questions regarding the NCDB PUFs or the RFA process for a PUF may be directed to NCDB technical staff at NCDB_PUF@facs.org.  READ MORE CoC launches Special Study ACS-CRP The Commission on Cancer (CoC) initiated a pilot study at 20 CoC accredited facilities in the fall of 2017 as a component of the Comparison of Operative to Monitoring and Endocrine Therapy (COMET) clinical trial (PIs: Drs. Shelley Hwang, Ann Partridge, Alastair Thompson). The study examines the risks and benefits of active surveillance compared to usual care for patients diagnosed with low risk Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS), commonly known as stage 0 breast cancer. The pilot study concluded Jan. 1, 2018. Following data analysis, a CoC Special Study will be launched in spring 2018 to investigate outcomes from DCIS treatment retrospectively.  READ MORE AJCC at HIMSS18 AJCC The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) will be exhibiting at HIMSS18 in Las Vegas, March 5-9, 2018. Make sure to visit Booth 10632 to meet the AJCC staff and learn about the API interface to access the Eighth Edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual.  READ MORE 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual now available NAPBC The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) has released the 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual. You can download a PDF of the manual from the NAPBC Standards web page. Click the 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual link at the top of the standards web page. If your browser is set to auto-download, check the downloads folder on your computer after clicking the link. The 2018 NAPBC Standards Manual will be available online and as a PDF. The NAPBC will not have printed copies of the manual for purchase. Please contact us at NAPBC@facs.org with any questions or comments.  READ MORE Applications for NAPRC accreditation now being accepted American College of Surgeons - NAPRC The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) is now accepting applications. The NAPRC was developed to ensure that rectal cancer patients receive appropriate care following a multidisciplinary approach. Programs will be evaluated on the standards and metrics outlined in The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer Standards Manual 2017 (revised October 2017).  READ MORE  IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES Date Event Location Feb. 23 PUF application submission closes June 1 Call for Data closes July 21-24 ACS Quality and Safety Conference Orlando, FL Oct. 21-25 ACS Clinical Congress Boston, MA    TRENDING ARTICLES Missed last week's issue? See which articles your colleagues read most. Interactive tool improves patient knowledge of breast cancer treatment options (Medical Xpress) Vitamin deficiency 'puts cancer cells into hibernation' (ScienceDaily) E-cigarettes may cause cancer and heart disease (Medical News Today) Preventing cervical cancer: 2 things that are not being done (Forbes) Breast cancer: Body fat, not weight, poses major risk (Medical News Today) Don't be left behind. Click here to see what else you missed.   The Brief Connect with AJCC Connect with CoC Connect with NAPBC Recent Issues | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Advertise | Web Version  Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469-420-2601 | Download media kit Ashley Harrington, Senior Content Editor, 469-420-2642 | Contribute news Disclaimer: The Brief is a digest of news selected for the Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), both quality programs of the American College of Surgeons, from thousands of sources by the editors of MultiBriefs, an independent organization that also manages and sells advertising. The Cancer Programs do not endorse any of the advertised products and services. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not of the American College of Surgeons, and the Cancer Programs. 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