New NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium™ Aids in Decision-Making for Patients with Cancer

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Radiation therapy (RT), either alone or in combination with chemotherapy or surgery, is one of the most common treatment options for people with cancer. Nearly two-thirds of patients with cancer in the United States receive radiation therapy during their illness.¹

To support clinical decision-making around the use of radiation therapy in patients with cancer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) today launched the NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium™ during the NCCN 22^nd Annual Conference: Improving the Quality, Effectiveness, and Efficiency of Cancer Care™. The RT recommendations contained in the Compendium are derived directly from the library of NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®), which document evidence-based, consensus-driven management to ensure that all patients receive care most likely to lead to optimal outcomes.

"NCCN is proud to introduce the NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium™—the latest addition to the library of NCCN Guidelines derivative resources," said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "As a single source for all radiation therapy recommendations within the NCCN Guidelines, the Compendium benefits patients with cancer by assisting providers and payers in making evidence-based treatment and coverage decisions."

The Compendium provides guidance on all RT modalities recommended within the NCCN Guidelines, including Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT), Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)/Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)/Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), Image-guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), Low dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR)/High dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR), Radioisotope, and Particle Therapy.

Transparency of NCCN Guidelines and Compendia development is central to the philosophy, policies, and procedures of NCCN. NCCN posts the policies and processes for developing and maintaining the NCCN Guidelines. These policies are available to the public on the NCCN website. Identification of newly published research, NCCN Member Institution review, external stakeholder submissions, and panel review occur on an ongoing basis with at least annual review performed for NCCN Guidelines for each disease.

The NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium™ includes RT recommendations for the following 24 cancer types:

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• Anal Cancer
• B-Cell Lymphomas
• Bladder Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphoblastic Lymphoma
• Colon Cancer
• Hepatobiliary Cancers
• Kidney Cancer
• Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
• Melanoma
• Multiple Myeloma
• Neuroendocrine Tumors
• Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Occult Primary
• Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
• Penile Cancer
• Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphomas
• Prostate Cancer
• Rectal Cancer
• Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Soft Tissue Sarcoma
• T-Cell Lymphomas
• Testicular Cancer

Additional cancer types will be published on a rolling basis over the coming months.

The NCCN Guidelines are the recognized standard for clinical policy in cancer care and are the most thorough and most frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. Other NCCN Guidelines derivative products include:

• NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium (NCCN Compendium^®) contains authoritative, scientifically derived information designed to support decision-making about the appropriate use of drugs and biologics in patients with cancer. The NCCN Compendium^® is recognized by public and private insurers alike, including CMS and UnitedHealthcare as an authoritative reference for oncology coverage policy.
• NCCN Biomarkers Compendium^® contains information designed to support decision-making around the use of biomarker testing in patients with cancer.
• NCCN Chemotherapy Order Templates (NCCN Templates^®) include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, supportive care agents, monitoring parameters, and safety instructions based directly on recommendations within the NCCN Guidelines. Special instructions for self-administered chemotherapeutic agents are also provided.
• NCCN Imaging Appropriate Use Criteria (NCCN Imaging AUC™) include recommendations pertaining to cancer screening, diagnosis, staging, treatment response assessment, follow-up, and surveillance to support clinical decision-making for patients with cancer. In 2016, NCCN was recognized by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a qualified provider-led entity for creation of imaging AUC.

For more information and to access the NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium™, visit NCCN.org/RTCompendium.

¹ Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S., 2010 Edition, 2004 IMV Medical Information Division, 2003 SROA Benchmarking Survey

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 27 of the world's leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that 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. As the arbiter of 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.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: 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 Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, 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; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, 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; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; 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 Comprehensive 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.

Media Contact:
Katie Kiley Brown, NCCN
610-573-3893
[email protected]

SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Related Links

http://www.nccn.org