What is the Commission on Cancer?

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a program of the American College of Surgeons. Through their cancer treatment facilities approval program, the CoC approves hospitals or facilities that have committed to provide the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Its list of approved facilities includes more than 1,400 cancer centers throughout the United States.

A good way to judge the quality of cancer care at a treatment facility is to find out if it has been approved by the CoC. If it has, you know it meets certain standards and offers a range of cancer care services. No matter its size or location, its ability to deliver quality cancer care is constantly being looked at by the CoC.

CoC-approved cancer programs are found in many different kinds of hospitals or facilities. They may be in major treatment centers, community hospitals, or other diagnostic and treatment centers. Approved programs must provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services. They have many different specialists available to treat patients, they take part in a cancer registry that collects all kinds of information on cancer, and they can give you information on clinical trials and new treatment options. CoC-approved cancer programs also must offer life-long follow-up care to people with cancer. This gives patients ongoing long-term care so that any problems, such as late side effects, recurrences, or new cancers, are found and treated as soon as possible.

If you would like to find a CoC-approved center near you, look for the Treatment Center Locator on our Web site at cancer.org. Or you can call us at 1-800-227-2345.