E-Newsletter - June 2018

 

Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery:
an educational tool for the practicing surgical oncologist

To address the technical aspects of standardizing surgical care, the Alliance/American College of Surgeons Clinical Research Program (ACS CRP) has developed the Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery manuals. First envisioned by Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, former ACS CRP PI and Director, and led by Kelly K. Hunt, MD, FACS, ACS CRP PI and Director, the manuals offer “minimum standards” for various cancer operations and can serve as a reference for clinical trials that involve surgical interventions.  The manual provides concrete recommendations on the effective conduct of operations and detailed information on the oncologic principles, avoidable pitfalls, and quality of the evidence on which these recommendations are based. The manual focuses on the decisions that surgeons make from incision to closure, and the recommendations in it are based on the strongest available evidence. Identifying the lack of evidence on certain topics has been an unintended consequence of developing this manual and has galvanized the resolve of the authors to establish standards where none currently exist.

With the participation of more than 120 surgeons in Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery Volume I, it is perhaps the best resource available on the conduct of operations for cancer of the breast, colon, lung, and pancreas. The second volume, led by Matthew H.G. Katz, MD, FACS and Nirmal K. Veeramachaneni, MD, FACS, will be available for purchase later this summer. Volume II involved contributions by more than 140 surgeons and will include operations for melanoma, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, and thyroid cancer. Soon, surgeons will be able to purchase individual sections (disease sites) electronically. For more information, contact Amanda Francescatti (ACS CRP Senior Manager) at afrancescatti@facs.org.

 

 

For other articles in this issue of the Alliance E-News newsletter, see below.