Sheetz KH, et al. - Through a longitudinal population-based study using 100% of the Medicare claims for 516,392 patients who were undergoing pancreatic, esophageal, rectal, or lung resection for cancer between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2016, researchers assessed the correlation between short-term clinical outcomes and hospitals’ adherence to the Leapfrog Group’s minimum volume standards for high-risk cancer surgery. However, volume persisted to be a significant factor for patient safety, the Leapfrog Group’s minimum volume standards did not distinguish hospitals on the basis of mortality for 3 of the 4 high-risk cancer operations evaluated, and few hospitals could meet these standards. These conclusions reflected significant tradeoffs among setting effective volume thresholds and practical expectations for hospital adherence and patient access to centers that met those standards.