Dayton Children’s Hospital applauds 100 years of advancing cancer care by the Commission on Cancer

In the coming year, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC), an accrediting body of Dayton Children’s cancer program, will observe its centennial anniversary. The yearlong campaign will celebrate this important milestone, honor the dedication and leadership of those who have helped to build and shape the CoC, and identify new opportunities to improve the care of cancer patients.



The CoC’s success in improving the quality of cancer care is directly attributed to the contributions and commitment of participating accredited programs dedicated to providing quality cancer care. This includes the cancer program at Dayton Children’s. In the 2019 survey, Dayton Children’s was one of two pediatric hospitals to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award. This award is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. Programs are evaluated on standards including clinical services and quality improvement.



 “Over the past century, the organizations and individuals represented in the CoC have consistently and tirelessly advanced the quality and standards of cancer care,” said CoC Chair Timothy Mullett, MD, FACS. “As a result, today there are more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, treating more than 70 percent of patients with cancer in this country.”



 Established by the ACS in 1922, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations, dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. As a CoC-accredited facility, Dayton Children’s Hospital takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that require consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists in a multidisciplinary partnership created to improve patient care. 



 “Accreditation by the Commission on Cancer means that our community has a top quality children’s hospital. Along with receiving the highest standard of care, being near your support system and close to home is so important when a child is going through cancer treatment. Being part of the CoC shows our commitment to providing both exceptional quality and compassionate care to our children and their families.”



Throughout the coming year the CoC will feature special 100-year anniversary content in the Cancer Programs News weekly newsletter, on ACS Cancer Programs social media channels, and on the new 100-year anniversary website. Anniversary coverage will include video interviews with past and present CoC leadership, historical articles and photos, profiles of long-running accredited programs and member organizations, reviews of medical journal articles that highlight the importance of National Cancer Database data, and bylined articles on topics of interest to the cancer care community. In addition, the January 2022 issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons will be dedicated to the CoC’s 100-year anniversary.



By following the CoC’s cancer care standards, Dayton Children’s is a leader in the community in setting forth compassionate, personalized care that is coordinated to treat the whole patient. The 100-year anniversary celebrates the CoC’s lasting dedication to quality cancer care.  To learn more about the cancer program at Dayton Children’s visit: https://www.childrensdayton.org/patients-visitors/services/hematology-oncology