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UNMC’s Anne Kessinger, M.D., participates on the NCCN Lung Cancer Panel. |
The NCCN Treatment Guidelines for Patients are a companion to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology used by physicians making treatment decisions. The guidelines provide the most up-to-date information about treatment options and are written in easy-to-understand language.
The patient guidelines are the result of a collaborative effort between NCCN and American Cancer Society and are derived directly from the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology developed for physicians by the NCCN. The patient guidelines also provide background information on different types of cancers, their causes, various treatment options, and a glossary of terms.
“For patients to be actively involved in their own health care decisions, they have to fully understand their options. These guidelines are taken directly from the treatment guidelines developed for physician use and are important because they help patients and their doctors communicate more effectively,” said UNMC’s Anne Kessinger, M.D., who participates on the NCCN Lung Cancer Panel. Dr. Kessinger is associate director of clinical research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. The Society estimates that there will be 169,400 new cases of lung cancer in this country this year, and about 154,900 will die of the disease.
“We want people with lung cancer to understand their treatment options,” said Robert C. Young, M.D., national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society and president of Fox Chase Cancer Center, a founding member of the NCCN. “These materials will help patients take a more active role in their own health care and guide them through the treatment decision-making process.”
The Lung Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients are part of an informational series to help patients and their families make more informed decisions regarding their treatment. Other guidelines cover supportive care topics such as nausea and vomiting; fever and neutropenia; cancer-related fatigue; and cancer pain. Other items in the series provide information on cancer of the prostate, breast, ovaries, colon and rectum. Many titles are available in Spanish as well as English.
These materials are available free of charge on NCCN’s Web site at www.nccn.org and by calling NCCN toll-free at 1-888-909-NCCN — or on the American Cancer Society’s Web site at www.cancer.org or by calling 1-800-ACS-2345.