Newswise — David P. Winchester, MD, FACS, Medical Director, American College of Surgeons Cancer Programs and Chair, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, and Cary Kaufman, MD, FACS, Chair-Elect, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, are available to help reporters convey the importance of early detection and comprehensive treatment of breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Topics:Breast cancer screeningBreast cancer treatmentBreast center accreditationNational Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) is a consortium of national, professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and the monitoring of outcomes for patients with diseases of the breast. Bringing together leaders from the major medical disciplines that routinely work together to diagnose and treat breast disease, this multidisciplinary group created 27 program standards and 17 program components of care that collectively provide the most efficient and contemporary care available for patients diagnosed with diseases of the breast. For information on the NAPBC, visit http://www.accreditedbreastcenters.org/ .

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 77,000 members and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.