OVMC PHYSICIAN APPOINTED TO COMMISSION ON CANCER POSITION
11/12/08

Contact: Howard Gamble, MPH
Title: Marketing & Public Relations
Phone: (304)234-8135

Nadeem Ikhlaque, MD, of Wheeling, WV, recently received a three-year appointment as Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at Ohio Valley Medical Center. Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer programs approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).
Dr. Ikhlaque is among a national network of over 1,600 volunteer physicians who are responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain, and support their facilities’ cancer program. Dr. Ikhlaque, who has a significant interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant diseases, is a member of the multidisciplinary cancer committee at Ohio Valley Medical Center, an institution which is dedicated to facilitating the delivery of comprehensive quality cancer care.

Cancer Liaison Physicians are responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives within their cancer program; collaborating with local agencies, such as the American Cancer Society (ACS); and facilitating quality improvement initiatives, utilizing data submitted to the CoC’s National Cancer Database (NCDB). The CoC collects data from its approved cancer programs and provides tools back to these facilities to facilitate the analysis of patterns of diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Ikhlaque, who specializes in Oncology and Hematology, joined the Cancer Center at OVMC in July 2006. A graduate of Rawalpindi Medical College, University of the Punjab, he served as a Field Medial Officer and Family Physician in Pakistan. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. While at Wright State he served as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine and completed a Fellowship in Hematology and Oncology.

He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Oncology and is Board Eligible in Hematology. Dr. Ikhlaque is a member of the American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology.

The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and out-comes information for over 18 million malignant cancers diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the United States between 1985 and 2003. These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancers in the US each year. The Cancer Liaison Physician works with the cancer program staff to facilitate the submission, presentation, use, and interpretation of NCDB data. Analyzing and sharing these data with the cancer committee can have a positive impact on cancer patient care at the facility.

In an effort to assist the more than 1.3 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year, Cancer Liaison Physicians at CoC-approved programs also facilitate participation in the Commission’s Facility Information Profile System (FIPS). FIPS is a data-sharing activity between the CoC and the ACS, which provides the public with information about resources, services, and annual cancer caseload at CoC-approved facilities. These data are shared with the public through the ACS National Cancer Information Center and Web site at 1-800-ACS-2345 / www.cancer.org (.)

The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of 46 professional organizations dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients. The Commission achieves its goal through standard-setting, cancer prevention, research, educational activities, as well as monitoring comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes national organizations representing the full spectrum of cancer care and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. The Commission’s core functions include establishing standards to ensure the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive cancer care in health care settings; surveying facilities to assess compliance with those standards; collecting standardized data from approved facilities to measure quality; using data to monitor treatment patterns; supporting cancer control, and enhancing clinical surveillance activities; and developing effective educational interventions to improve outcomes at the national, state, and local level.

There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-approved cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, and approximately 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients are treated in these institutions.

For more information on the Cancer Liaison Program and the Commission on Cancer, contact the Commission on Cancer at the American College of Surgeons, 633 N. Saint Clair St., Chicago, IL 60611, 312-202-5085; or visit http://www.facs.org/cancer (.)

Ohio Valley Medical Center, located in Wheeling West Virginia, and East Ohio Regional Hospital, located in Martins Ferry Ohio, is a 340 bed combined organization providing quality primary and tertiary healthcare to the Ohio Valley. Ohio Valley Health Services and Education Corporation is the integrated health care delivery system comprising of the two hospitals, River Health Enterprises and Family Service-Upper Ohio Valley.