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 say that have concluded 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
Presenters were 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.
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.
Dr. Mahmoud and her colleagues present research that
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.
