The Commission on Cancer (CoC) announced the winners of its annual Cancer Research Paper Competition.

Eugene Cone, MD, a second-year fellow in urologic oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is one of two first-place winners for his paper titled “Effects of delays in cancer treatment on survival outcomes.” Xiang Gao, MD, MPH, a general surgery resident at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, also received a first place for her paper titled “Cancer Treatments in hospitals by Commission on Cancer accreditation and rurality.”

Dr. Cone and Dr. Gao each received a $1,000 honorarium plus an invitation to record and post their presentations on the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Cancer Programs website. In addition, they are eligible for publication in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Susanna de Geus, MD, PhD, a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Surgery at Boston Medical Center, Boston University Medical School, was named the runner-up for her paper titled “Volume of Complex Cancer Operations near the Pancreas Favorably Influences Pancreaticoduodenectomy Outcomes at Low-Volume Pancreas Surgery Centers.” She will receive a $500 cash award and an invitation to record and post her presentation on the ACS Cancer Programs website. Dr. de Geus also is eligible for publication in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

The annual Cancer Research Paper competition is a collaborative activity of the CoC and the American Cancer Society and is open to all residents and fellows-in-training. Abstract topics must be specific to oncology and related to the CoC’s mission to improve the survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. Judging is based on originality, scientific merit, and clinical relevance to oncology and the mission of the CoC.

This year, 97 papers were submitted to the competition.