
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and the quality of life for cancer patients. The CoC establishes quality standards and accredits cancer programs based on those standards. To maintain accreditation, CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years. There are currently more than 1500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing 24% to 30% of all hospitals. These programs diagnose and/or treat more than 70% of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited cancer programs | 1500+ |
| Percentage of hospitals that are CoC-accredited | 24% |
| Percentage of newly diagnosed cancer patients treated by CoC-accredited hospitals each year | 70-75% |
| Number of organizations that make up the CoC | 59 |
| Frequency of on-site reviews for CoC-accredited hospitals | Every 3 years |
| Type of organization | Consortium of professional organizations |
| Date established | 1922 |
| Focus | Improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients |
| Methods | Standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and monitoring of comprehensive quality care |
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What You'll Learn
- The Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredits cancer programs based on quality standards
- CoC-accredited programs treat over 70% of cancer patients in the US
- CoC-accredited institutions have education and training resources available
- CoC accreditation offers tangible benefits, like the Optimal Resources for Cancer Care manual
- CoC-accredited cancer programs undergo an on-site visit every three years

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredits cancer programs based on quality standards
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and the quality of life for patients with cancer. It was established in 1922 and its members include surgeons and more than 56 organizations, including government agencies and patient advocacy groups. The CoC establishes quality standards and accredits cancer programs based on those standards. These standards are periodically reviewed to ensure the highest quality of care.
CoC accreditation provides value to accredited programs by demonstrating to their community, providers, payers, and the government that they have invested in systems to help cancer patients receive high-quality, coordinated care. Cancer programs can show that they have made the necessary efforts to provide supportive services and resources addressing the full continuum of care in their community. CoC-accredited institutions also have access to education and training resources, offered in the form of online education, workshops, and other resources.
Accredited programs have access to data systems that allow them to compare their quality of care, identify variations, and implement improvements. This includes data reporting to and feedback from the CoC's National Cancer Database (NCDB), which is used to assess hospital performance using nationally recognized quality of cancer care measures. CoC accreditation also provides an infrastructure that informs care and gives teams opportunities for leadership development, team building, and programmatic development.
To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing 24-30% of hospitals. These accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70% of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.
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CoC-accredited programs treat over 70% of cancer patients in the US
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer. The CoC has accredited more than 1500 cancer programs, representing 24% of hospitals in the US. Despite being in the minority of cancer institutions in the US, CoC-accredited programs treat over 70% of cancer patients in the country each year.
The CoC is one of two main accreditation agencies specific to cancer care in the US, the other being the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The CoC was founded by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and over 50 cancer-related organizations. It focuses on continuous quality improvement through process measures and benchmarked data reporting. The CoC's accreditation standards focus on structure, process, and outcomes, addressing the full continuum of cancer from prevention to survivorship and end-of-life care.
CoC-accredited institutions have access to a range of benefits, including education and training resources, such as online education, workshops, and other resources. They also have access to hospital and benchmark data on cancer outcomes, participation in cancer standards development, recognition as an accredited cancer program, and coordinated compliance with state-required cancer registries and data collection.
The CoC has developed patient education materials, such as home skills kits, to help with reducing complications of care, improving patient participation and outcomes, and increasing patient satisfaction. CoC-accredited programs are provided with access to web-based tools to support quality improvement, community assessment, and cancer program administration. These tools enable programs to evaluate and compare the cancer care they deliver with other CoC-accredited facilities, identify areas for quality improvement, and compare quality-related performance measures.
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CoC-accredited institutions have education and training resources available
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and the quality of life for patients with cancer. The CoC has accredited approximately 1,500 cancer programs, which make up about 24% of hospitals and treat more than 70% of all patients with cancer in the United States.
Online education includes sessions such as CAncer Forum LIVE, which provides opportunities to learn about the specific standards and what the CoC does. These sessions are recommended by experts as they allow oncology professionals to stay up to date with the latest developments in cancer care.
In addition to these educational resources, CoC-accredited institutions also have access to other benefits, such as hospital and benchmark data on cancer outcomes, participation in cancer standards development, recognition as an accredited cancer program, and coordinated compliance with state-required cancer registries and data collection.
To maintain their accreditation, CoC-accredited institutions must undergo an on-site review every three years to ensure they continue to meet the quality-of-care standards set by the CoC.
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CoC accreditation offers tangible benefits, like the Optimal Resources for Cancer Care manual
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and the quality of life for patients with cancer through standard setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. CoC accreditation is a marker of quality cancer care and is only given to facilities that have committed to providing the highest level of cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and performance review.
There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing 30% of all hospitals. CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70% of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. These programs undergo an on-site review every three years to maintain their accreditation status.
CoC accreditation offers a range of tangible benefits to institutions. One such benefit is the Optimal Resources for Cancer Care manual, which provides guidance on the organization and infrastructure of a cancer program. This manual is periodically revised to include the most current requirements for CoC Accreditation, ensuring that accredited institutions remain up-to-date with the latest standards of cancer care. The manual also includes data to assess patterns of care and outcomes, allowing hospitals to compare their quality of care, identify variations, and implement improvements.
In addition to the manual, CoC-accredited institutions have access to a range of educational and training resources, such as online education sessions, workshops, and other resources. These resources provide valuable opportunities for staff to enhance their understanding of the specific standards and requirements of CoC Accreditation. Furthermore, the CoC also develops patient education materials, such as home skills kits, which are designed to improve patient participation, outcomes, and satisfaction, as well as support the transition to home care.
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CoC-accredited cancer programs undergo an on-site visit every three years
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organisations dedicated to improving survival rates and the quality of life for patients with cancer. CoC-accredited institutions demonstrate a commitment to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and undergo a rigorous evaluation and review of their performance.
To maintain accreditation, CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years. A trained CoC site visit reviewer visits the cancer program, reviewing documentation and ensuring compliance with the standards. In preparation for the on-site visit, the cancer program must assess and demonstrate compliance with the requirements outlined in Optimal Resources for Cancer Care, an annual manual offering guidance on the organisation and infrastructure of a cancer program.
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, for example, received three-year reaccreditation from the Commission on Cancer following a site visit. As a CoC-accredited institution, the UNM Cancer Center is also an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, signifying its dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches.
There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing 30% of all hospitals. CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70% of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.
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Frequently asked questions
There are more than 1500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing 30% of all hospitals.
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and the quality of life for patients with cancer through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care.
To become CoC-accredited, cancer programs must undergo an on-site visit every three years, in which a trained CoC site reviewer ensures compliance with the standards. To prepare for the on-site visit, the cancer program must assess and demonstrate compliance with the requirements outlined in Optimal Resources for Cancer Care, submit payment for the accreditation fee annually, and confirm the site visit date and agenda.





























