Steven R. Vallance, MD, PhD, FACS, of Frankfort, KY, recently received a three-year appointment as Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at Frankfort Regional Medical Center. Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer programs accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).
Dr. Vallance is among a national network of over 1,600 volunteer physicians who are responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain, and support their facilities' cancer program. Dr. Vallance, who has a significant interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant diseases, is a member of the multidisciplinary cancer committee at Frankfort Regional Medical Center, an institution which is dedicated to facilitating the delivery of comprehensive quality cancer care.
“I am privileged to be able to serve as the Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at Frankfort Regional Medical Center,” said Dr. Vallance. “I am very passionate about delivering the best treatment options for the patients we serve. This is a great step for Frankfort Regional Medical Center and our affiliated physician network to continue to expand its cancer program to benefit the residents in our communities.”
Cancer Liaison Physicians are responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives within their cancer program; collaborating with agencies, such as the American Cancer Society (ACS); and facilitating quality improvement initiatives utilizing data submitted to the CoC's National Cancer Database (NCDB). The CoC collects data from its accredited cancer programs and provides tools back to these facilities to facilitate the analysis of patterns of diagnosis, treatment, and quality of care.
The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and outcomes information for over 25 million malignant cancers diagnosed and treated at hospital-cancer programs in the United States between 1985 and 2008. The Cancer Liaison Physician works with the cancer program staff to facilitate the submission, presentation, use, and interpretation of NCDB data. Analyzing and sharing these data with the cancer committee can have a positive impact on cancer patient care at the facility.
In an effort to assist the more than 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year, Cancer Liaison Physicians at CoC-accredited programs also facilitate participation in the Commission’s Facility Information Profile System (FIPS). FIPS provides the public with information about resources, services, and annual cancer cases diagnosed at CoC-accredited facilities. These data are shared with the public through the CoC Web site at www.facs.org/cancer.
The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of 50 professional organizations dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients. The Commission achieves its goal through standard-setting, cancer prevention, research, educational activities, as well as monitoring comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes national organizations representing the full spectrum of cancer care and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. The Commission’s core functions include establishing standards to ensure the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive cancer care in health care settings; surveying facilities to assess compliance with those standards; collecting standardized data from accredited facilities to measure quality; using data to monitor treatment patterns, support cancer control, and enhance clinical surveillance activities; and developing effective educational interventions to improve outcomes at the national, state, and local level.
There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, and approximately 70 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients are treated in these institutions.
For more information on the Cancer Liaison Program and the Commission on Cancer, contact the Commission on Cancer at the American College of Surgeons, 633 N. Saint Clair St., Chicago, IL 60611, 312-202-5085; or visit http://www.facs.org/cancer.