Data Source

The NCDB, sponsored by American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society, is a clinical oncology outcomes database sourced from hospital-based cancer registries from more than 1,500 CoC-accredited programs.^18,19 The Special Study mechanism evaluates patient care, sets benchmarks, and provides feedback to improve patient care in CoC-accredited programs. The 2015 Special Study examined surveillance and recurrence for patients with surgically resected breast, colorectal, or lung cancer. Data collected during the Special Study supplemented existing NCDB data. De-identified data, which do not identify patients, hospitals, or providers, were provided to investigators according to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act guidelines. This study was considered exempt by the institutional review boards.