NCCN and AstraZeneca Announce Projects to Explore Quality Improvements in Lung Cancer

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., March 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) today announced three research projects selected to receive funding to improve healthcare provider performance and/or healthcare quality, focusing on enhancing patient care and outcomes for people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The designated projects will be funded through a collaboration with AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company.

"Lung cancer is still the number one cause of cancer death in the United States," said Wui-Jin Koh, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NCCN. "We've seen rapid and robust progress in treating this cancer recently, and it's having a significant impact on reducing mortality. Now we want to make it easier for medical practices to implement these innovations and make sure they're reaching every patient who could benefit from them. These projects will hopefully serve as sustainable models for promoting system efficiency and enhancing patient outcomes and satisfaction."

The selected projects are:

• Developing a PREcision meDICine Thoracic (PREDICT) Service in a Large Practice Network: Focus on Implementation, Physician and Patient Impact
• Debora Bruno, MD, MS, and Navid Sadri, MD, PhD, University Hospitals – Seidman Cancer Center
• Randomized Trial of a Supportive Care Mobile Application (App) to Improve Symptoms, Coping, and Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
• Joseph Greer, PhD, and Jennifer Temel, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
• System-wide Integration of Plasma-based Next Generation Sequencing into Clinical Pathways for Detection of NCCN Recommended Biomarkers to Improve the Management of Patients with Metastatic Non-squamous NSCLC
• Charu Aggarwal, MD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

"AstraZeneca is committed to eliminating cancer as a cause of death," said Adrian Kilcoyne, MD, VP, US Medical Affairs, AstraZeneca. "We cannot do this through innovative medicines alone, we must also be active partners in improving the quality of cancer care for patients. We are pleased to partner with NCCN in support of this important work."

The research projects will begin in the third quarter of 2020 and continue for two years. The results from the funded projects will be disseminated upon completion to improve delivery of cancer care in other practices.

The NCCN ORP fosters innovation and knowledge discovery that improves the lives of people with cancer and supports preclinical, translational, clinical research and quality improvement projects in oncology at NCCN Member Institutions. In an effort to improve collaboration in cancer research, the NCCN ORP also maintains a shared resources website and an informed consent database. For more information, visit NCCN.org/orp.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) is a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. By defining and advancing high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers around the world.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, Birmingham, AL; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news. Follow NCCN on Twitter @NCCN, Facebook @NCCNorg, and Instagram @NCCNorg.

Media Contact:
Rachel Darwin
267-622-6624
[email protected]

SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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