Multimodal CME for Surgeons and Pathologists Improves Colon Cancer Staging

Abstract

Optimal treatment of localized colorectal cancer (CRC) depends on accurate retrieval and assessment of lymph nodes (LN) in the resected specimen. Formal CE, informal opinion leadership and reinforcing strategies aimed at pathologists and surgeons to improve LN assessment were implemented. In the pre-intervention period a median of 8 lymph nodes were assessed in making a designation of Stage II CRC (n = 115). Thirty months later (post-intervention period) the median number of LN reported in Stage II CRC increased to 18 (n = 41), p < 0.001. A durable improvement in staging was realized through a multipronged change initiative aimed at both surgeons and pathologists.