When patients have a colon removal for cancer it is very important that at least 12 lymph nodes are removed and examined under a microscope to detect the spread of cancer and direct patients to advanced treatment. This may help improve long-term survival after colon cancer surgery. SCOAP hospitals are monitoring how often 12 or more lymph nodes are evaluated and working to get higher percentages of patients in this group. It may not be possible to get 100% of patients to have this happen, but we are trying.
Some hospitals that are more successful at this are using special approaches to looking at the lymph nodes such as protocols and education to increase the number they evaluate. Some SCOAP hospitals that are underperforming on this care measure are working to improve this care measure by changing their protocols.
What can you do about this?
Ask your surgeon about their SCOAP report regarding lymph nodes removed so they know you care