DREXEL HILL, Pa. – Rachelle Lanciano, M.D., chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, recently received a three-year appointment as Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at Delaware County Memorial Hospital. Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer programs approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).
Dr. Lanciano is among a national network of over 1,600 volunteer physicians who are responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain and support their facilities’ cancer programs.
As chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at DCMH, Dr. Lanciano has developed a reputation for clinical excellence. She has developed a conformal external radiation program that uses CT scan-based treatment planning. More recently, she has led the development and implementation of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), a specialized form of radiation treatment that targets a tumor more precisely while limiting normal tissues treated. She has also increased DCMH patients’ access to national trials of radiation through the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Board-certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology in 1988, she subspecializes in genitor-urinary, gastrointestinal, lung and breast cancers and is a national expert in cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Dr. Lanciano is the principal investigator on a published national trial in the Gynecologic Oncolgogy Group, which studies the benefit of various chemotherapy agents and radiation for advanced cervical cancer. She has been named one of the “top doctors” in the region by Philadelphia Magazine and Main Line Today.
Dr. Lanciano received her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed her residency in Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining DCMH, she practiced for eight years at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Cancer Liaison Physicians are responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives within their cancer programs; collaborating with local agencies, such as the American Cancer Society; and facilitating quality improvement initiatives, utilizing data submitted to the CoC’s National Cancer Database.
Data received from the 1,400+ CoC-approved cancer programs are compiled and reported back to the individual facilities to analyze patterns of care and address gaps in cancer care. The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment and outcomes information for over 17 million malignant cancers diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the United States between 1985 and 2003. These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. each year. The Cancer Liaison Physician works with the cancer program staff to facilitate the submission, presentation, use and interpretation of reports. Analyzing and sharing these data with the cancer committee can have a positive impact on cancer patient care at the facility.
In an effort to assist the more than 1.3 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year, Cancer Liaison Physicians at CoC-approved programs also facilitate participation in the Commission’s Facility Information Profile System (FIPS). FIPS is a data-sharing activity of the CoC and the American Cancer Society (ACS), which provides the public with information about resources, services and annual cancer caseload at CoC-approved facilities.
The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients. The Commission achieves its goal through standard-setting, cancer prevention, research and educational activities, as well as monitoring comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes 40 national organizations representing the full spectrum of cancer care and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. The Commission’s core functions include establishing standards to ensure the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary and comprehensive cancer care in health care settings; surveying facilities to assess compliance with those standards; collecting standardized data from approved facilities to measure quality; using data to monitor treatment patterns; supporting cancer control, and enhancing clinical surveillance activities; and developing effective educational interventions to improve outcomes at the national, state and local levels.
The Delaware County Regional Cancer Center, located at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, provides a comprehensive approach to cancer care, combining state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment with supportive care. Physicians and staff work as a multidisciplinary team, using the newest technologies and therapies, to tailor treatment to each patient’s condition and situation. Treatment options available include surgery, radiation therapy and medical oncology. The Delaware County Regional Cancer Center is a member of the Fox Chase/Crozer-Keystone Cancer Partnership.
Delaware County Memorial Hospital is a member of Crozer-Keystone Health System. We’re 5 hospitals, 2,600 doctors and nurses, and 7,100 caring people with 1 vision. Crozer-Keystone. Something to feel good about.