In the USA, 80% of patients with breast cancer are treated by community breast surgeons. NCDB data indicate that there are only small differences in outcomes between lower volume cancer…
The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) provides feedback on adherence to National Quality Forum (NQF)–endorsed measures to promote best outcomes in colorectal cancer. We examined the care delivered to patients…
Immune-based therapies for cancer are now commonplace. Cytokine therapy, including interferon and interleukin-2, is safe in the community setting. The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved sipuleucel-T for…
The breast center concept developed in response to a fragmented inefficient system to evaluate and manage patients with diseases of the breast. The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)…
We report our initial experience with minimally-invasive esophagectomy in 32 patients at Carolinas Medical Center, a community academic medical center. Indications for surgery were adenocarcinoma in 27, squamous cell carcinoma…
Rectal cancer management benefits from a multidisciplinary approach involving medical and radiation oncology as well as surgery. Presented are the current dominant issues in rectal cancer management with an emphasis…
Pancreatic resection can be performed safely in the community-based hospital setting only when appropriate systems are in place for patient selection and preoperative, operative, and postoperative care. Pancreatic surgery cannot…
Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy have become the standard of care for staging the axilla in patients with invasive breast cancer. Current histologic methods for SLN evaluation…
Primary liver tumors are a common clinical problem in the United States and worldwide. Resection has historically been used to treat liver lesions. Commonly used liver-directed therapies include transarterial chemoembolization,…
This article discusses the growth and infrastructure of a clinical trials program in a large community hospital. An association between increased patient accrual and establishment of site-specific tumor boards and…
