2018 Cancer Program Public Outcomes Report

The Cancer Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst provides excellent care for our patients, but there is always room for improvement. We in the Cancer Committee constantly look for ways to improve.

We treat about 100 gastrointestinal cancers every year, for example rectal cancer. We strive to adhere to treatment guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).

Curable rectal cancer may undergo a variety of treatments including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Smaller rectal cancers may begin treatment with surgery, whereas larger cancers need chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the cancer before surgery. Before any treatment begins, an MRI or Ultrasound is needed to see how big the cancer is.

During 2018, the Cancer Committee at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst reviewed whether patients with rectal cancer were getting the MRI or Ultrasound recommended by the NCCN. We looked at records of patients with rectal cancer from early 2016 and none of the 3 (0%) patients got the MRI or Ultrasound.

In order to improve this short-coming, the Cancer Committee instituted a hospital-wide education of physicians, physician assistants (PA), and nurse practitioners (NP). In particular, we focused on the Gastroenterology, General Surgery, and Oncology clinics. After a year of improvement, all 5 patients (100%) with rectal cancers now get the MRI or Ultrasound. The Cancer Committee will continue to monitor this excellent improvement to make sure that it continues.

If you have questions about Oncology/Cancer Care services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, or to make an appointment, please call 718 334-2398.