Having Colon Or Rectal Cancer Surgery at a National Cancer Institute-designated Hospital Greatly Improves Survival

Newswise — Experts from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will present at this weekend's American Surgical Association Annual Meeting, April 24-26 in New York City.

Title: NCI Designation Predicts Improved Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer Surgery

Presenters: Najjia Mahmoud, MD, Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery; Emily C Paulson, MD, surgical resident; Chris Wirtalla, Department of Surgery data manager; Rachel Kelz, MD, attending surgeon; Katrina Armstrong, MD, and Nandita Mitra, PhD, Abramson Cancer Center; Seema Sonnad, PhD, Department of Surgery, project advisor.

Place: Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City

Time: 10:30 am, Saturday, April 26.

Dr. Mahmoud and her colleagues present research that concludes that having colon or rectal cancer surgery at a National Cancer Institute-designated hospital greatly improves short and long term survival. Dr. Mahmoud and her colleagues arrived at their results using SEER-Medicare data from more than 52,000 patients across the US from 1996-2003. All research results are embargoed until the time they are presented during the conference.

Specifically, NCI designation is associated with lower risk of postoperative death and improved long-term survival. Possible factors responsible for these benefits include surgeon training, multidisciplinary care, and adherence to treatment guidelines. Studies are underway to further clarify the factors leading to improved patient outcomes. Their research will be published in the Annals of Surgery later this year.

The American Surgical Association is the nation's oldest and most prestigious surgical organization. The annual meeting brings together leading surgeons and scientists in North America and other continents to freely discuss their latest clinical and research findings.

PENN Medicine is a $3.5 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn's School of Medicine is currently ranked #3 in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's survey of top research-oriented medical schools; and, according to most recent data from the National Institutes of Health, received over $379 million in NIH research funds in the 2006 fiscal year. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals — its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, rated one of the nation's "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S.News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.

The Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) of the University of Pennsylvania is a national leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. The pre-eminent position of the Cancer Center is reflected in its continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute for 30 years, one of 39 such Centers in the United States. The ACC is dedicated to innovative and compassionate cancer care. The clinical program, comprised of a dedicated staff of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, nutritionists and patient support specialists, currently sees over 50,000 outpatient visits, 3400 inpatient admissions, and provides over 25,000 chemotherapy treatments, and more than 65,000 radiation treatments annually. Not only is the ACC dedicated to providing state-of-the-art cancer care, the latest forms of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are available to our patients through clinical themes that developed in the relentless pursuit to eliminate the pain and suffering from cancer. In addition, the ACC is home to the 300 research scientists who work relentlessly to determine the pathogenesis of cancer. Together, the faculty is committed to improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.