CoC Standards and QC Practice Questions
1. You are the ODS on the cancer committee. There are several new members on the
committee and the chairman asks you to explain the attendance requirement. What
statement(s) below would be included in your explanation concerning Cancer
Committee Attendance
a. The identification of designated alternates must take place at the first meeting
of the calendar year
b. Cancer Committee Attendance cannot be via teleconference.
c. Identification of alternates must be conducted every year, during the first or
second meeting of the year.
d. A member can serve as an alternate for up to three individuals.
2. The cancer committee must have at least one cancer screening program each year
that is targeted to decrease the number of patients
a. who are readmitted within 30 days of primary cancer surgery
b. who present with late-stage cancer
c. who refuse the recommended first course treatment
d. who present with early stage disease
3. Which statements below are accurate related to multidisciplinary cancer case
conferences
a. The cancer program must present 15% of the annual analytic caseload at
conferences
b. A minimum of 15% or cases must be presented prospectively
c. A minimum of 80% of cases must be presented retrospectively
d. A minimum of 80% or cases must be presented prospectively
e. Both a and d
f. A, b, and c
4. It is the responsibility of the CLP to present NCDB data to the cancer committee
a. Four times a calendar year
b. Annually
c. Minimum of 2 times a calendar year
d. When requested by the Cancer Committee
5. Which statement is most accurate concerning cancer committee positions?
a. Within the cancer committee a single physician may serve as both the cancer
committee chair and the cancer liaison physician.
b. A pastoral care representative is a required member of the cancer committee.
c. A single member of the cancer committee may serve in three coordinator
roles.
d. Only the cancer registrar can serve in two coordinator roles.
6. The CLP contacts you and states he had an emergency and is unable to present
NCDB data to the Cancer Committee today. This is the last meeting of the year in
which you can make compliance with the standard, who may present it in the place
of the CLP
a. CLP’s Alternate
b. Cancer Registrar
c. Quality Coordinator
d. Either a, b or c
7. The Cancer Program is required to conduct a screening event annually. Which
examples below represent screening events?
a. HPV vaccination
b. Low-dose computed tomography
c. Avoidance of sun exposure
d. Nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss programs
8. Cancer Conference activity is monitored and reported on to the cancer committee by
the
a. CLP
b. Cancer Committee Chair
c. Cancer Registry
d. Cancer Conference Coordinator
9. Which statement is true regarding Cancer Committee meeting attendance.
a. Cancer Committee meeting attendance must meet 75% for all required
member/alternate
b. Cancer Committee meeting attendance must meet 50% for all required
members by CoC cancer program category.
c. There is no specific meeting attendance requirement for cancer committee
meetings.
d. The cancer committee determines what the required meeting attendance will
be for its members.
10. Which cancer program committee meeting schedule below is compliant with the
CoC meeting requirements?
a. January, April, June, October
b. February, May, October, December
c. February, May, August, October
d. January, March, August, November
e. Both c and d
CANCER PROGRAM STANDARDS page 10
11. As the CTR member of the cancer committee you are expected to be familiar with
the CoC Standards. You recognize the following statements related to the cancer
committee coordinators are accurate
a. One individual may serve in a maximum of two coordinator roles and
represent one of the required physician or nonphysician specialties?
b. An individual may serve in only one coordinator role and represent one of
the required physician or nonphysician specialties
c. There are 6 required coordinator members of the cancer committee
d. The coordinators include cancer conference coordinator, quality
improvement coordinator, community outreach coordinator, clinical research
coordinator, psychosocial coordinator, cancer registry quality coordinator
e. The coordinators include cancer conference coordinator, quality
improvement coordinator, cancer registry quality coordinator, clinical
research coordinator, psychosocial coordinator, cancer registry quality
coordinator, survivorship program coordinator
f. a, c, d
g. a, c, e
h. b, c, e
12. CoC cancer programs must have cancer committee meetings which must be held a
minimum of
a. 4 times a year
b. Quarterly
c. Annually
d. 2 times a year
13. Under the guidance of the Cancer Liaison Physician (CLP), the Quality
Improvement Coordinator, and the cancer committee, the cancer program must
measure, evaluate, and improve its performance through at least one cancer-specific
quality improvement initiative each year. Required component of the quality
improvement initiative include which of the following?
a. Review data to identify the problem
b. Choose and Implement Performance Improvement Methodology and Metrics
c. Implement Intervention and Monitor Data
d. Present Quality Improvement Initiative Summary
e. All the above
14. Which statement(s) is accurate related to the Quality Improvement Initiative
Standard
a. Requires the program to write the problem statement
b. Reports on the status of the QI initiative must be given to the cancer
committee at least twice each calendar year
c. Present Quality Improvement Initiative Summary
d. All the listed statements are accurate.
15. Monitoring Concordance with Evidence-Based Guidelines standard requires which
of the following?
a. a physician member of the cancer committee conduct an in depth analysis
b. a physician or a non-physician member of the cancer committee conduct an
in depth analysis
c. through review of each patient in the analysis group
d. a presentation of report detailing all the required elements in the study
e. A, C, and D
f. A, B, C, and D
16. Which statement is most accurate concerning Rapid Cancer Reporting System
participation.
a. Rapid Cancer Reporting System participation is optional for CoC accredited
facilities.
b. To meet the minimal requirements of the standard a program must report
cases quarterly.
c. Minimal compliance with the Rapid Cancer Reporting System requires that
quality measure performance rates must be reported to the cancer committee
at least each quarter.
d. Minimal compliance with the Rapid Cancer Reporting System includes
submission of all new and updated cases at least once each calendar month.
17. Cancer Programs Undergoing initial site visit for accreditation are exempt from
which of the following standards:
a. Rapid Quality Reporting Data Submission
b. Quality Measures
c. Commission on Cancer Special Studies
d. Follow-up of Patients
e. A, B, C, D
f. A, B and C
18. Accreditation Awards for renewal programs include which of the following?
a. Accredited
b. Not-Accredited- Corrective Action Required
c. Not-Accredited
d. Accredited- Corrective Action Required
e. A, C, and D
f. A, B, C, and D
CANCER PROGRAM STANDARDS page vi
19. As an approved CoC cancer program a facility participates in CoC Special Studies
a. Once every three years
b. Every Survey year
c. As the hospital or facility deems appropriate
d. As selected by the CoC
CANCER PROGRAM STANDARDS page 87
20. Which of the following should be in the policy and procedures for Multidisciplinary
Cancer Case Conference?
a. Multidisciplinary participation
b. Frequency and Format of Cancer Case Conference
c. Number of cases presented and prospective cases presented
d. A, B and C
21. The Cancer Registry Quality Control Plan follow-up information review specifically
includes:
a. Date of first recurrence
b. Type of first recurrence
c. Cancer Status.
d. Date of last cancer status
e. a, b, and c
f. a, b, c, d
22. In regards to Cancer Registry Staff Credentials which items below are accurate?
a. Each calendar year, members of the cancer registry staff who do not hold a
CTR credential must demonstrate completion of three hours of cancer-related
continuing education applicable to their roles
b. The continuing education requirement applies to all non-credentialed registry
staff
c. The continuing education requirement does not apply to non-CTR registry
supervisors or managers.
d. The continuing education requirement applies to follow-up staff
e. Items a, b, and d
f. All the above
23. The CoC Follow-up Standard states that the follow-up rate for all eligible patients
must be is maintained from the most current year of completed cases through 15
years before or the program’s first accreditation date, whichever is shorter.
a. 80%
b. 75%
c. 90%
d. 50%
24. The CoC Follow-up Standard states that follow-up rate is maintained at what percent
from the most current year of completed cases through five years before or the
program’s first accreditation date, whichever is shorter?
a. 80%
b. 75%
c. 90%
d. 50%
25. The CoC Cancer Program Standards state that that each cancer committee must
assign coordinators for what areas ____
a. Cancer Conference
b. Quality Improvement
c. Cancer Registry Quality
d. Community Outreach
e. Clinical Research
f. Psychosocial Services
g. Survivorship Program
h. A, B, C, E, F and G
i. All the above
26. The CoC Cancer Program Standards Rating System includes
a. Compliance, Noncompliance, Not Applicable
b. Commendation, Compliance, Noncompliance
c. Compliance, Optional, Not Applicable
d. Commendation, Compliance, Noncompliant
27. Which statement is most accurate related to College of American Pathologists
Synoptic Reporting requirements?
a. All core elements must be reported whether applicable or not, except for
those that are defined as “conditional.
b. All core elements must be reported in paragraph format
c. Only three diagnostic parameter pairs can be listed on each line
d. Core elements must be listed together in synoptic format in no more than
three locations in the pathology report.
CANCER PROGRAM STANDARDS page 41
28. You are the CTR at a hospital that is in the process of getting things in place to apply
for cancer program accreditation. The quality person who also works with JCAHO
accreditation is guiding the process. He indicates that he thinks you would be a good
candidate for the clinical research coordinator, which item below represents the best
response
a. I would be happy to be the clinical research coordinator
b. The only coordinator position I can hold is Cancer Registry Quality
Coordinator
c. I can only serve in the role of Cancer Conference coordinator and the Quality
Improvement Coordinator
d. As a CTR I can only fill the coordinator roles of Cancer Conference
Coordinator and Cancer Registry Quality Coordinator
CANCER PROGRAM STANDARDS page 7
29. You have just received the new dates for cancer committee meetings from the cancer
committee chairs secretary. The meetings are schedule for February, April, June and
September, but the time is not specified. Also, the September meeting is scheduled
on Labor Day and most of the cancer committee members will be off that day. What
is the best comment to make to the secretary.
a. Hello Mrs. Jones, I noticed that the time is missing off the cancer committee
schedule, is it still noon?
b. Hello Mrs. Jones, I noticed that the September meeting is scheduled on a
holiday and the time is not listed. Could you check and see if the chairman
will pick another day in September for the meeting.
c. Hello Mrs. Jones, I noticed that the meeting schedule does not meets the CoC
Standard of 4 meetings, the time of the meeting just needs to be added. Could
you check and see if the chairman will pick another day in September for the
meeting to avoid the holiday.
d. Hello, Mrs. Jones, while there are four meetings scheduled which is the
minimum CoC requirement. The selected months do not meet the CoC
standard of one meeting per calendar quarter.
30. You are the lead CTR and you participate in orienting new Cancer Committee
members to their specific roles. Select the best statement concerning key points to
share with the new CLP
a. As the CLP you are responsible for reporting on the NCDB data at least two
meetings per year and you will be given access to the NCDB reporting tools.
You must also be present for the CoC site visit.
b. You are recognized as the quality champion on the committee, and you must
be the Quality Coordinator and are responsible for the Quality Improvement
Initiative.
c. As the CLP you must serve as the Cancer Program Administrator. As the
CLP you are responsible for reporting on the NCDB data at least two times
per year. You are recognized as the quality champion on the committee.
d. We have four cancer committee meeting each year, you must attend at least
75 percent of them. As the CLP you are responsible for reporting on the
NCDB data at least four times per year. You are recognized as the quality
champion on the committee.
31. You are the CTR responsible for supervising students for their clinical practicum at
your facility. You are explaining your role as the cancer conference coordinator, and
she asks you what is meant by prospective cases? Which item below best answers
her question?
a. A prospective case is one that has been newly diagnosed and treatment has
not yet been initiated.
b. A prospective case is one that has received initial treatment, and discussion
of additional treatment is needed
c. A prospective case is one that has received all their treatment and is
presented as an educational opportunity
d. A prospective patient is one previously diagnosed, initial treatment is
completed and is presented to discuss adjuvant treatment
e. Answers a, b and d are prospective case examples
32. You are the CTR responsible for supervising students for their clinical practicum at
your facility. You are explaining your role as the cancer conference coordinator, and
he said he was told in class the cancer conference coordinator had to provide an
annual report. He asks you what is required for the report. Your best response to him
is
a. I can choose whatever I want to put it the report as long as it is provided on
an annual basis, I evaluate the conference overall and it is included as a part
of the cancer committee minutes.
b. I must report cancer case conference frequency and multidisciplinary
physician specialty attendance depending on the defined requirements in the
cancer case conference policy and procedure
c. I must include in the report the number of cases presented and the percentage
of prospective cases
d. I must include in the report the number of annual analytical cases in the
registry and the retrospective cases
e. Choices a, b, and d
f. Choices b, c and d
g. Choices b, and c
33. You are the manager in a CoC accredited facility and have hired two new registry
staff who recently graduated from a cancer information management program. Both
are planning to set for the CTR exam next year. As it relates to Cancer Registry Staff
Credentials, which of the following best describes the requirements
a. The new registrars must perform abstracting under the supervision of a CTR.
b. The new registrars may abstract independently as long as they graduated
from an NCRA-accredited formal education program.
c. Non-CTR staff in the registry must demonstrate completion of three hours of
cancer-related continuing education applicable to their roles each year.
d. A plan must be in place for CTR supervision of non-credentialed staff
performing abstracting that includes the scope of supervision, quality control,
education, and training activities.
e. Any non-CTR hired to perform abstracting under the supervision of a CTR in
a CoC-accredited program must pass the CTR examination within three years
of the date hired to perform abstracting.
f. Choices a, b, c and d
g. Choices a, c, d and e
34. As the lead CTR at your CoC accredited facility you are assigned the responsibility
of submitting the cases to the Rapid Cancer Reporting Systems. The RCRS standard
requires that
a. All new and updated cancer cases are submitted at least once each calendar
quarter according to the RCRS terms and conditions.
b. Programs must actively participate in RCRS submissions and adhere to the
RCRS requirements through the entire accreditation cycle.
c. Once each calendar year, programs submit all complete analytic cases for all
disease sites via RCRS as specified by the annual Call for Data.
d. All new and updated cancer cases are submitted at least once each calendar
month according to the RCRS terms and conditions.
e. Choices b, c and d
f. Choices a, b, c
