National Comprehensive Cancer Network

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is an alliance of twenty-one cancer centers in the United States, most of which are designated by the National Cancer Institute (one of the U.S. National Institutes of Health) as comprehensive cancer centers. It is a non-profit organization with offices in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

Mission and main activities

NCCN is dedicated to improving care along the continuum of cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. An alliance of 21 of the world's leading cancer centers, NCCN communicates sound, evaluative clinical information to enhance the decision-making processes of patients, physicians, and others who influence access to and the choice of cancer care.

World-renowned experts from NCCN Member Institutions diagnose and treat patients with a broad spectrum of cancers and are recognized for dealing with complex, aggressive, or rare cancers. More than 160,000 new patients receive cancer care at NCCN Member Institutions over the course of any year. NCCN Member Institutions pioneered the concept of the multidisciplinary team approach to patient care and lead the fight against cancer as they integrate programs in patient care, research, and education. Our programs offer access to expert physicians, superior treatment, and quality and safety initiatives that continuously improve the effectiveness and efficiency of cancer care. Forty-two Nobel Prize winners have served on the faculties of NCCN Member Institutions

The main activity of the organization is the development and publication of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines). The NCCN Guidelines are a comprehensive set of guidelines detailing the sequential management decisions and interventions for the malignant cancers that affect 97 percent of all patients with cancer. They are developed by physicians at the member cancer centers through an explicit review of the evidence integrated with expert medical judgment. The NCCN Guidelines are available at no charge on NCCN.org.

Derivative products based on the NCCN Guidelines include the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium (NCCN Compendium) and the NCCN Chemotherapy Order Templates (NCCN Templates). The NCCN Compendium is designed to support decision-making about the appropriate use of drugs and biologics in patients with cancer. The NCCN Templates are designed to improve the safe and effective use of drugs and biologics in cancer care by standardizing regimens, reducing medication errors, and facilitating the anticipation and management of adverse events.

NCCN also develops the NCCN Guidelines for Patients, which are consumer-friendly translations of the NCCN Guidelines that physicians use. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients are designed to help patients with cancer play an active role in making treatment decisions that are best for them. These Guidelines are available on NCCN.com, NCCN's website for patients and caregivers.

Publications

• The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology are a set of practice guidelines for oncology developed by expert panels of oncologists. The guidelines published by NCCN cover 97% of cancers and are updated on a continual basis. The NCCN oncology guidelines are the most widely used guidelines in oncology practice and are used in over 115 countries. Information in each guideline is based on a review of scientific evidence from oncology trials and studies pertinent to a specific form of cancer.

• NCCN has created the NCCN Guidelines for Patients; based on the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology, these are meant to help patients talk with their doctor about their treatment options. Patient guidelines are available for Breast Cancer and on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Additional guidelines are planned to be available by the end of 2010, with more in the following year.

References

• Wood EH (Jul 2004). "The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)". J Med Libr Assoc. 92 (3): 382–3. PMC 442186. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=442186. 
• "New developments from National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) outlined recently" Physician Law Weekly August 1, 2007
• "New Guidelines Updates from National Comprehensive Cancer Network" Cancerwatch Online (March 2004) 13(3)
• Mustian KM, Morrow GR, Carroll JK, Figueroa-Moseley CD, Jean-Pierre P, Williams GC (2007). "Integrative nonpharmacologic behavioral interventions for the management of cancer-related fatigue". Oncologist 12 (Suppl 1): 52–67. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.12-S1-52. PMID 17573456. 
• "NCCN and ACS Team Up to Provide Easy to Understand Information on Cancer Treatment Options"

External links

• National Comprehensive Cancer Network - Physician Website
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network - Patient Website