Which statement about the surveyor team composition is NOT true?

• A. The surveyor team has more than 40 members
• B. Physicians from multiple specialties are CoC surveyors
• C. Certified Tumor Registrars are CoC surveyors
• D. Surveyors are employees of the CoC

Answer: (D)

The key idea is who makes up the survey team and how they relate to the CoC. Surveyors are external experts who come from outside the CoC to review a program’s compliance with standards. They are not employees of the Commission on Cancer. The CoC trains and coordinates these peer reviewers, but the actual surveyors come from various institutions and specialties and often volunteer or are contracted to do the review. That external, non‑employee status is what makes the statement about surveyors being employees not true.

Context helps: a survey team is assembled to bring diverse expertise to the review, which is why you commonly see a large team—often more than 40 members—to cover clinical care, data quality, and program processes. The team typically includes physicians from multiple specialties to assess interdisciplinary care, and certified tumor registrars to evaluate registry practices. These elements are consistent with how CoC surveys are conducted, reinforcing why the claim about surveyors being CoC employees doesn’t fit.