Abstract
6578 Background: The majority of cancer treatment occurs in community settings. NCCN guidelines are widely regarded as a marker for quality cancer care. We performed a retrospective review to assess compliance with NCCN guidelines at community medical oncology practices affiliated with FCCCP. Methods: Outpatient charts of 277 patients diagnosed with stage IIb/IIIa breast cancer between 2002–2005 from 16 medical oncology practices were assessed for the following documentation: charted pathology report with stage, ER, PR, and HER2/neu status noted, menopausal status, diagnostic mammogram, surgical evaluation, and radiation oncology consultation. The following treatments were evaluated: irradiation post-lumpectomy, sentinel and/or full axillary lymph node dissection (SLND and/or ALND), number of lymph nodes resected if ALND, use and type of chemotherapy, and accrual to a clinical trial. Results were compared with corresponding NCCN guidelines. Results: Percent compliance with NCCN guidelines by parameter for documentation were: pathology report (90.2%), staging (100%), ER/PR (92.4%), HER2/neu status (87.5%), menopausal status (92.3%), results of diagnostic mammogram (83.2%), and consultations of surgical (92.8%) and radiation oncologists (76%). For treatment, 85.1% of women had radiation post lumpectomy. SLND and/or ALND were performed in 96% of surgeries, with full ALND performed in 99% of cases with positive SLN. Eight or more lymph nodes were evaluated in 71.9% of patients. Overall, 83.7% of patients underwent chemotherapy, with 78.7% receiving regimens in compliance with NCCN guidelines. Clinical trial accrual was 6.2%, exceeding American College of Surgeons commendation standards for comprehensive community programs. Overall, mean percent compliance per NCCN parameter among practice groups was 87.8% (range 41.6 - 96%), with 15/16 hospitals achieving mean compliance above 80%. Conclusions: A comprehensive quality benchmark assessment of community medical oncology offices using NCCN guidelines is feasible. While overall compliance is high, areas deserving of education and improvement can be identified. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
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