An ongoing pilot project aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the Health Equity Report Card (HERC) as a tool for improving the quality and equity of cancer care and continues the Elevating Cancer Equity collaboration from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF)–highlighted on World Cancer Day.
Tag: National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Terrance Mayes, EdD, and Loretta Erhunmwunsee, MD, FACS, Announced as Leaders for NCCN Forum on Equity
National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s new Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Directors Forum is working together to improve diversity of clinical staff representation across nation’s leading academic cancer centers.
Surgery First for Colon Cancer? Not So Fast, According to New Study in JNCCN
New research in JNCCN finds that immunotherapy from immune checkpoint (PD-1) inhibitors prior to surgery was strikingly effective for patients with localized mismatch repair-deficient or microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC).
International Collaboration to Improve Cancer Care in Sub-Saharan Africa Focuses on Resources for Children’s Cancers
NCCN is working on new NCCN Harmonized Guidelines™ for Sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with the African Cancer Coalition (ACC), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). The organizations are part of Allied Against Cancer, a global multi-sector effort to improve resource-stratified access to life-saving cancer care in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Improving Cancer Outcomes for LGBTQ+ Patients Requires Earning Trust and Challenging Assumptions
Annual NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit explores stories and data highlighting barriers to high-quality care that LGBTQ+ people with cancer experience, examining persistent setbacks and promising developments.
NCCN Announces Funding for Bladder Cancer Research Projects, in Collaboration with Pfizer and EMD Serono
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program selects projects focused on improving patient care and outcomes in locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer.
New Study in JNCCN Presents Evidence for ‘Tough Conversations’ Around Racism in Access to Cancer Care
A study in JNCCN, led by researchers at Duke University School of Medicine, found that Non-Hispanic Black patients were less likely to receive guideline-appropriate treatment for ovarian cancer compared to Non-Hispanic White patients, even after adjusting for healthcare access issues.
NCCN Working with Medlive to Advance High-Quality Cancer Care in China and Worldwide
United States-based National Comprehensive Cancer Network enters strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese medical information website to publish and translate evidence-based expert consensus guidelines for cancer care; now available at nccnchina.org.cn.
NCCN Guidelines for Patients Win Award for Excellence in Cancer Patient Education from CPEN
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education—has been named winner for the 2022 Excellence in Cancer Patient Education award from the Cancer Patient Education Network (CPEN).
Cancer Patients Treated with Immunotherapy Can Safely Receive mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines, According to JNCCN Study
New research published in the October 2022 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network confirms the safety of mRNA vaccines in people with cancer undergoing immunotherapy treatment.
On World Mental Health Day, NCCN Announces Free Updated Distress Screening Tool, Available in More Than 70 Languages
On World Mental Health Day, NCCN announced an updated NCCN Distress Thermometer, is available in more than 70 languages, to help people around the world identify and address psychosocial stressors that may raise challenges when coping with having cancer, its symptoms, or treatment.
NCCN Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies™ Returns to In-Person October 14–15, 2022 in New York City
The 2022 NCCN Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies™ (#NCCNhem22) is taking place Friday, October 14–Saturday, October 15, 2022 in New York City. All live sessions will also stream remotely through a virtual event platform.
NCCN Updates Recommendations for COVID-19 Vaccination with Information on Bivalent Vaccines, Children with Cancer, and Other Developments
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis details clarified expert consensus to help guide providers on latest data and information, available at NCCN.org/covid-19.
NCCN’s New Patient Guidelines for Marginal Zone Lymphoma Help Patients and Caregivers Better Understand a Rare Form of Blood Cancer
The new patient guidelines for Marginal Zone Lymphoma guidelines are the latest in NCCN’s library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients®, published through funding from the NCCN Foundation® and available online free of charge.
New Study in JNCCN Suggests Way to Predict Outcomes with High Accuracy Prior to Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Patients
New research in the September 2022 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds the use of positron emission tomography (PET) with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) tracer adds significant prognostic benefit in objectively assessing neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in borderline resectable/locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients prior to surgery.

There’s a Better Way to Detect High-Risk Medications in Older Adults with Cancer According to New Study in JNCCN
Gerontology researchers teamed up with hematologic-oncology investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to look at the association between older patients with blood cancers who were taking multiple medications and their corresponding frailty. They also created a new scale based on a list of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) from the NCCN Guidelines® for Older Adult Oncology—called the Geriatric Oncology-Potentially Inappropriate Medications (GO-PIMs) Scale—and found it to be more effective at predicting frailty than conventional methods.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Shares New Recommendations for Treating Children with Brain Tumors
Newly-published NCCN Guidelines for Pediatric Central Nervous System Cancers synthesize latest evidence to help care teams ensure children with high-grade gliomas have best possible outcomes; available free at NCCN.org.
JNCCN: Mismatch in Breast Cancer Trial Results and Real-World Outcomes Based on Treatment Discontinuation
New population study in JNCCN on adjuvant hormone therapy for breast cancer finds correlation between hot flashes and poorer outcomes—in contrast to clinical trial results; likely due to patients with side-effects ending treatment early.
NCCN Policy Summit Speakers Say Flexibility in Supporting and Accommodating Cancer Patients and Caregivers Helps Workplaces Thrive
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) convened an oncology policy summit in Washington D.C. on building a workplace that includes support for people with cancer and their caregivers. The program, which also featured a virtual attendance option, examined how workplace norms and expectations have changed in recent years, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Honors Oncology Leaders Promoting Progress in Cancer Care
National Comprehensive Cancer Network honors oncology leaders: Robert Winn, MD, and Shonta Chambers, MSW, named joint Partners in Cancer Care; William Gradishar, MD, named Rodger Winn Award recipient for work on NCCN Guidelines; Hema Sundar, PhD, named Employee of the Year.
New Research in JNCCN Encourages Harnessing Health Technology to Help Cancer Patients Quit Smoking
A new study in JNCCN finds patients with cancer who smoke are more likely to receive evidence-based cessation assistance by using the ELEVATE program, increasing the likelihood of better outcomes.
NCCN Foundation Announces Awards for Rising Cancer Research Leaders
National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program to oversee projects from early-career investigators advancing key areas for study in cancer care and biology, such as novel combination therapy, equitable access to cellular therapies, immune cell dysfunction, liquid biomarkers, genetic ancestry, oncogenic vulnerabilities, and MAIT cell antitumor activity.
NCCN Announces Funding for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Projects, in Collaboration with AstraZeneca
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program to oversee projects focused on improving patient care and outcomes in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer in collaboration with AstraZeneca.
NCCN Announces Funding for Prostate Cancer Research Projects, in Collaboration with Pfizer and Astellas
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program to oversee projects focused on the use of enzalutamide in treating people with prostate cancer.
NCCN Works with Polish Health Leaders to Improve Cancer Standardization, Coordination, and Outcomes
International collaboration involving NCCN and Polish oncology officials publishes first of several evidence-based expert consensus guidelines with latest cancer treatment recommendations, adapted for regional needs, beginning with cervical cancer.
Are Too Many Phase III Cancer Clinical Trials Set Up to Fail?
New research in JNCCN finds four out of five cancer therapies tested in Phase III trials do not achieve clinically-meaningful benefit in prolonging survival, and is the first study to quantify the number of false-positive, false-negative, and true-negative trial results.
JNCCN Study Reveals Neuroendocrine Tumor Mortality Patterns to Inform Treatment Decisions
New study in JNCCN finds that among all patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), the risk of dying of cancer was higher than that of dying of other causes, but mortality varies by primary tumor site, in first population-based cohort study on cancer-specific death after a NET diagnosis.
Cancer Guidelines Organization Supports Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination for Health Workers
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) COVID-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee calls for healthcare workforce vaccine requirements to assure healthcare community is doing all it can to prevent exposure to COVID-19.
NCCN Announces Selected Projects to Study Neratinib in Collaboration with Puma Biotechnology, Inc.
The NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP) announces projects that have been selected for funding to evaluate neratinib in various tumor types, supported by a grant from Puma Biotechnology, Inc.
NCCN Maintains Qualification as CMS-Approved Provider-Led Entity for the Development of Imaging Appropriate Use Criteria
NCCN, an alliance of 31 leading cancer centers, has again qualified as a provider-led entity (PLE) for the Medicare Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) Program by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the nation’s largest health payer.
New Patient Guide from NCCN Jumpstarts Important Conversations About Anal Cancer
New and updated patient and caregiver resources from National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) offer jargon-free, state-of-the-art information on diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance for anal, colon, and rectal cancers.
NCCN Policy Summit Explores How COVID-19 Pandemic Can Lead to Improvements in Cancer Care
NCCN Policy Summit examines the impact of the past year on oncology policy in the U.S., such as resuming recommended screening and clinical trials, applying health innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic to cancer treatment, and addressing systemic inequalities that lead to disparities in outcomes.
NCCN Cancer Experts Answer Questions about COVID-19 Vaccines
National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s patient information team provides a patient and caregiver version of recently-updated, evidence-based expert consensus recommendations for vaccinating people with cancer against COVID-19.
New NCCN Employer Toolkit Enables Organizations to Help Workers with Cancer
Free resource from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network helps employers select health plans and provide services to improve employee outcomes and minimize disruptions from cancer diagnoses—now available at NCCN.org/employertoolkit
NCCN Foundation Announces Awards for Rising Cancer Research Leaders
National Comprehensive Cancer Network announces recipients of 2021 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards; projects from early-career investigators to advance research in cancer prevention, racial disparities in screening, immunotherapy, new insights in radiotherapy, and CAR T-cell therapy.
NCCN Announces UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center as 31st Member Institution
NCCN announced that it has elected University of California (UC) Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center as its newest Member Institution joining 30 other leading academic cancer centers to improve and facilitate quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives.
NCCN Announces New Biosimilars Research Projects in Oncology in Collaboration with Pfizer
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Research Program selects ten projects to receive funding to study the safe, effective, and efficient adoption of biosimilars in oncology.

JNCCN: New Evidence on Need to Address Muscle Health among Patients with Cancer
Results of new study in JNCCN from Mass General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute underscore the need for the development and testing of nutrition and fitness interventions, as muscle quality significantly correlates with symptom burden, healthcare utilization, and survival.
Leading Health and Cancer Advocacy Groups Unite to Reduce Racial Disparities in Cancer Care
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) presented new ideas for overcoming inequality in oncology. The recommendations address how medical systems often disproportionately fail minority patients.

New NCCN Guidelines Analyze Evidence for Cancer Type Found Almost Exclusively in Children
National Comprehensive Cancer Network publishes first-ever complete medical guidelines for a pediatric solid tumor, so children everywhere receive the best care based on the latest research. NCCN Guidelines for Wilms Tumor shares information for earlier, safer diagnosis and treatment in effort to reduce disparities; doctors warn of late diagnosis as a possible impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unexpected Findings on Weight Loss and Breast Cancer from International Study in JNCCN
New research in the February 2021 issue of JNCCN examined body mass index (BMI) data for people with HER2-positive early breast cancer, and found a 5% weight loss in patients over two years in was associated with worse outcomes. Weight gain over the same time period did not affect survival rates.

Patrick Delaney Named New Executive Director of NCCN Foundation
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) today announced the appointment of Patrick Delaney as incoming Executive Director for the NCCN Foundation®. Delaney has previously held leadership roles with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Red Cross, and American Cancer Society.
NCCN Gets Personal About Improving Global Cancer Care for World Cancer Day
For World Cancer Day 2021, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) employees took part in a 21-day challenge to get personal about cancer care, by sharing a look at how different staff members’ lives have been directly impacted by cancer.
Leading Cancer Organizations Warn Cancer Doesn’t Stop for COVID-19 and Neither Should You
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) are teaming up with leading cancer organizations across the country to endorse prioritizing the safe resumption of cancer screening and treatment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The coalition of 76 organizations is releasing an open letter about the threat cancer still poses to people’s health and a reminder that acting as soon as is safely possible can lead to much better outcomes in the future.
NCCN Shares New Guidance Principles for Vaccinating People with Cancer Against COVID-19
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network put out new guidance for COVID-19 vaccinations in people with cancer, based on available evidence plus consensus from top hematology and oncology experts with particular expertise in infectious diseases, vaccine development and delivery, and medical ethics.

Crystal Denlinger Named Chief Scientific Officer for National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announces Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, FACP, as incoming Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Denlinger will help to steer strategic direction for the nonprofit as well as oversee the NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP).

New Resource for Survivors from NCCN Helps Guide Life After Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
NCCN announces the publication of new, free informational resources on health and wellness for cancer survivors. Two new NCCN Guidelines for Patients® focus on healthy living and managing late and long-term side effects, and include appropriate ongoing screening for recurrence.
NCCN Announces Research Projects Exploring Axitinib in Various Cancers, in Collaboration with Pfizer
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Research Program announces selected studies on adding axitinib, an oral VEGF inhibitor, to treatment for melanoma, colorectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in collaboration with Pfizer.
NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit Emphasizes Treating Every Cancer Patient as an Individual
Virtual NCCN Policy Summit from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network explores how health policymakers can respond to the needs and wishes of people with cancer across all ages.
Grantees Awarded as Part of the Breast Cancer Research Project Between NCCN and Lilly Oncology
The NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP) today announced five projects selected to receive funding for clinical and preclinical evaluation of abemaciclib, a cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 4 & 6 inhibitor used in the treatment of HR+ and HER2- breast cancer.