PND (05/23/2000) -- Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Announces $1 Million Grant to Study Quality of Cancer Care

The Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the third-largest public charity in the United States, has announced a grant of $1 million to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Harvard University, and the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit think tank, to study the quality of care that breast and colon cancer patients receive. The project is designed to develop a nationwide monitoring system to determine what "best quality" means in treating cancer, and to provide that information to patients and doctors alike.

The 18-month study will begin with an examination of the medical records of 300 breast cancer patients and 300 colon cancer patients. Researchers will look at whether people got chemotherapy or radiation therapy, whether they received the full recommended dose, whether they were given the option of taking part in a clinical trial, how long it took to be referred to a specialist, and how many doctors they saw.

"We will in fact be asking the patients what their perception of their care was," said Deborah Kamin, director of public policy for ASCO. "Was the doctor available? Was their pain controlled?"

The 18-month pilot study will be launched in Los Angeles, which offers great ethnic diversity; Houston, which is home to the M.D. Anderson cancer center; and Cleveland, where the Cleveland Clinic operates in conjunction with a number of associated practices.

Fox, Maggie. "Study to Probe Quality of Cancer Care in U.S." Reuters 5/20/2000.

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