SAVANNAH — The Association of Community Cancer Centers recently selected the Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial University Medical Center to serve as a community resource center in its Improving Quality Care in Gastric Cancer project.
Only three other U.S. cancer centers have been selected to serve in this capacity for the project, which is focused on improving understanding and treatment of gastric cancer. Despite the fact that gastric cancer is a less common cancer, with only about 21,600 Americans diagnosed annually, it remains the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.
ACCC’s community resource centers are ACCC-member cancer programs with experience and expertise in treating certain less-common cancers, such as gastric cancer.
Community providers who may only see a few individuals with these less common cancers each year may face unique challenges in treating these patients, including limited time and resources to incorporate emerging clinical data into practice. But the community resource centers offer access to expertise and opportunities for increased collaboration.
“While treating patients with gastric cancer, community-based cancer centers around the country will have the full resources of ACCC, along with the experience of Savannah’s ACI at their fingertips,” said Jennifer Currin-McCulloch, the manager of oncology services at ACI.“We are proud to participate in this program and share our knowledge to help treat patients faced with gastric cancer.”
For example, community providers might contact a community resource center to ask the following questions:
• What guidelines should we follow?
• How are patients transitioned between care settings?
• What side effects should we anticipate?
• What supportive care will this patient need?
• How has your center addressed the sociodemographic and racial variables that affect prognosis and treatment of patients with gastric cancer?
ACCC members can connect with community resource centers at www.accc-cancer.org/CRC.