Quality Indicators

As a Nationally Accredited Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) Commission on Cancer, the Cancer Institute of Doylestown Hospital provides the highest quality care and ongoing commitment to continuous quality improvement. All accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years to maintain accreditation.

The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) is a joint program of the ACoS and the American Cancer Society (ACS). NCDB collects oncology outcomes data from more than 1,500 Commission-accredited cancer programs in the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico. Approximately 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cases of cancer in the U.S. are tracked at the local level and reported to the NCDB. Since 1989, NCDB contains approximately 29 million records from hospital cancer registries nationwide.

Early Diagnosis, Excellent Outcomes

Recent data and quality indicators that demonstrate our hospital’s growing cancer services and exceptional screening, diagnostic and treatment capabilities include:

• Doylestown Hospital’s five-year survival rates for the five most common cancers treated at the hospital, including breast, lung, prostate, colon and bladder cancers, are equivalent or superior to national and regional averages based on data from 2006 through 2011.
• In 2012, more patients at Doylestown Hospital were diagnosed at an early stage (Stage 0 or 1) for breast cancer (68%) as compared with NCDB (61%).
• In 2011, 75% of patients at Doylestown Hospital presented at early stages of prostate cancer. By vigilantly screening the male population between the ages of 40 and 75, Doylestown Hospital proves its ability to diagnose the majority of men at early stages, with the potential for cure.
• Cancer cases acquired by Doylestown Hospital’s Cancer Registry from 2006 through 2011 reflect continued growth of cancer services at the hospital. Our cancer registry collects data on type and stage of cancers, treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up.
• Doylestown Hospital breast cancer and colon cancer quality measures consistently excel beyond the benchmarks sent by the National Quality Forum (NQF), which includes specific parameters for chemotherapy, surgical and related therapeutics.

Highlights - the Cancer Institute’s Commitment to Quality

Patients considering cancer care at Doylestown Hospital have a commitment from the entire hospital staff and leadership that they will receive state-of-the-art, comprehensive, coordinated and personalized care. Our cancer care team constantly strives for the highest quality care and excellent outcomes, as illustrated by the following: 

• The Cancer Committee at Doylestown Hospital is a multidisciplinary team of specialists responsible for setting goals, planning, initiating, implementing, evaluating and improving all cancer-related activities at the hospital for the highest quality care. The Cancer Committee evaluates the outcomes of patients treated at Doylestown Hospital to measure quality and enhance patient care. NCDB serves as the Cancer Committee’s benchmark to evaluate trends unique to the Doylestown region and make ongoing improvements.
• The Breast Program Leadership (BPL), a multidisciplinary leadership committee and subcommittee of the Cancer Committee, meets quarterly to ensure that Doylestown Hospital’s breast program meets quality standards and performance measures.
• Cancer Conferences and Tumor Boards meet three times per month in a multidisciplinary forum with representatives from medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgery, radiology and pathology. At these information-sharing meetings, medical staff and cancer specialists review newly diagnosed cancer cases and collaborate on personalized treatment recommendations to ensure the best possible outcome for each patient. These forums also review National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines, prognostic indicators and site-specific factors, and discuss rare tumor types for educational purposes and multidisciplinary input.
• Continuing Medical and Professional Education.Doylestown Hospital physicians, nurses and allied health professionals attend educational programs regularly. Our staff is devoted to being at the forefront of best practices, new technology and advancements in treating cancer. Representatives from Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center frequently attend these seminars to offer additional insight on emerging trends in cancer treatment. Some examples of recent topics and presentations include:
  • Acute Pain Management
  • Adherence to Oral Therapies in Oncology
  • Advances in Neuro-oncology
  • Chemotherapy in Early Stage Breast Cancer
  • Colon Cancer Update
  • Emotional Issues of Cancer
  • Managing Life Threatening Infections in Patients with Cancer
  • Managing Patients with Brain Metastases
  • Protocols for Breast Cancer Radiation Treatment

For more information on the Cancer Institute of Doylestown Hospital’s commitment to quality please visit:

• Health Care Quality & Community Benefit 2012 Report
• Cancer Institute of Doylestown Hospital 2012 Annual Report