Resio BJ, et al. - In this investigation, researchers desired to know the extent to which affiliation with a top-ranked cancer hospital was correlated with cancer surgery outcomes. Through hospital affiliations, top-ranked cancer hospitals have increasingly shared their trusted brands with unranked hospitals in the community. Public perception in the United States is that after affiliation with a top-ranked hospital, the safety of hospital care improves, a conviction that increases preference for these hospitals.