National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer

rdf:langString National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer

rdf:langString The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) was formed to address the differences between patient outcomes in the United States as compared to Europe. According to the American College of Surgeons, outcomes for rectal cancer patients in Europe have for years been significantly better than for those in the U.S. Characterized by the use of multidisciplinary teams to make treatment decisions, the NAPRC standards aim to decrease the average circumferential resection margins, decrease the overall colostomy rate, and increase quality of life as reported by recovering patients. Two statistics illustrate the difference in treatment. A decade ago, the colostomy rate in Europe ranged from 25 percent to 35 percent, while today’s colostomy rate in the U.S. is about 50 percent, meaning that many more patients in the U.S. have colostomies as compared to Europeans. Rectal cancer cases in the U.S. have an average circumferential resection margins (CRMs) rate of 17 percent, significantly higher than the 3 percent to 11 percent range for European countries.