Paul, I can't thank you enough for posting that Journal of Oncology editorial. It really lays the groundwork for getting smarter about choosing institutions. Don nailed it, this is usually a choice given less time and energy than picking a new car.

From the article:
"NCI designation is not synonymous with high quality cancer care for every cancer. The NCI designation and the CCSG grant are awarded for support of research activities; the NCI review process is not designed to assess the quality of care. "

Brian, thank you for your thoughts and info (and for this wonderful forum!). The question isn't whether small community hospitals are as good. It's whether large academic non-CCC hospitals are as good in some cases. In my state, the 560-bed CCC has the same equipment as our local 500-bed non-CCC teaching hospital, both are offering the same HNC clinical trials, and the HNC teams have the same number of docs and a comparable prominence in HNC research.

Within the US News ratings, some non-CCCs are rated higher than CCCs for cancer. As Don asks, when are the differences between institutions negligible? Since the ratings aren't specific to HNC, what other info should people consider?

I'm suggesting that making the best choice entails looking at multiple criteria, especially the qualifications of individual HNC doctors..