In this episode, Thomas K Varghese, Jr, MD, FACS, is joined by Laurie J Kirstein, MD, FACS, from Memorial Sloan Kettering. They discuss Dr Kirstein’s recent article, “Results of an American College of Surgeons Prospective National Quality Improvement Collaborative to Successfully Overcome Barriers to Cancer Care Across the US,” in which 194 American College of Surgeons (ACS)-accredited cancer programs caring for 99,057 patients participated in a National Quality Improvement Collaborative led by the ACS, “Breaking Barriers,” which reduced radiotherapy non-adherence by over 30% at the patient and hospital levels across multiple program types, census regions, and disease sites.

Disclosure Information: Drs Varghese and Kirstein have nothing to disclose.

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Chan, Kelley MD, MS; Reilly, Eileen MSW; Janczewski, Lauren M MD, MS; Gentry, Sharon MSN, RN; Biggins, Camille MHA; Haffty, Bruce MD; Shelton, Charles MD; Yang, Anthony D MD, MS, FACS; Weigel, Ronald J MD, PhD, MBA, FACS; Kirstein, Laurie J MD, FACS. Results of an American College of Surgeons Prospective National Quality Improvement Collaborative to Successfully Overcome Barriers to Cancer Care Across the US. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 242(1):p 247-256, January 2026. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001637

Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more.

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