ACS
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | American Cancer Society |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Organizations & Companies, Medical |
ACS has four meanings. The most common are American Cancer Society (nonprofit) and Acute coronary syndrome (cardiology); it can also stand for American Chemical Society and American College of Surgeons.
Meanings of ACS at a glance
| # | ACS stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Cancer Society | Organizations & Companies › Nonprofit |
| 2 | Acute coronary syndrome | Medical › Cardiology |
| 3 | American Chemical Society | Organizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union |
| 4 | American College of Surgeons | Organizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union |
1. American Cancer Society
Organizations & Companies · Nonprofit Abbreviations
National health organization that funds cancer research, publishes screening guidelines and statistics, offers patient support services such as free lodging and rides to treatment, and advocates on cancer policy.
Example: The ACS recommends colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45 for people at average risk.
Founded in 1913 as the American Society for the Control of Cancer, it took its current name in 1945. Its annual Cancer Facts and Figures report is a standard reference. Relay For Life, its community fundraising event, began in 1985. In chemistry, ACS means the American Chemical Society.
2. Acute coronary syndrome
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Umbrella term for sudden reductions in coronary blood flow: unstable angina, NSTEMI and STEMI. Emergency departments use it as a working diagnosis for chest pain before troponin results and serial ECGs sort the patient into one of the three categories.
Example: Chest pain workup for possible ACS: aspirin 324 mg given, serial troponins ordered at 0 and 2 hours.
The concept took hold in the 1990s as research showed that all three conditions share a mechanism, usually plaque rupture or erosion with clot formation. ACS is a provisional label, and once tests return the chart should name the specific event. Outside cardiology the same letters often mean the American Cancer Society or the American Chemical Society.
3. American Chemical Society
Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations
Scientific society for chemistry, one of the world's largest, which publishes dozens of journals, including the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and operates the Chemical Abstracts Service registry of chemical substances.
Example: The compound's CAS number comes from a registry run by the ACS.
Founded in 1876 in New York City, it received a congressional charter in 1937. CAS registry numbers uniquely identify chemicals in regulations and safety data sheets. In medicine, ACS can mean the American Cancer Society or the American College of Surgeons.
4. American College of Surgeons
Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations
Scientific and educational association of surgeons that sets standards for surgical care, verifies hospitals as trauma centers and runs the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course.
Example: The hospital was verified by the ACS as a Level I trauma center.
Founded in 1913, it admits surgeons as fellows, who use the letters FACS after their names. Its National Surgical Quality Improvement Program collects outcome data from hundreds of hospitals. In cancer care, ACS usually means the American Cancer Society, and in chemistry the American Chemical Society.
Related abbreviations
More nonprofit abbreviations
- AAA – American Automobile Association
- AARP – AARP (formerly American Association of Retired Persons)
- AAUW – American Association of University Women
- ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union
- ADA – American Diabetes Association
- ADF – Alliance Defending Freedom
- ADL – Anti-Defamation League
- AEI – American Enterprise Institute
See all 91 nonprofit abbreviations →
More cardiology abbreviations
- ABI – Ankle-brachial index
- ABPM – Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
- ACC – American College of Cardiology
- ACHD – Adult congenital heart disease
- ADHF – Acute decompensated heart failure
- AED – Automated external defibrillator
- AF – Atrial fibrillation
- AFib – Atrial fibrillation
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.