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NCCN Releases New Guidelines for Most Common Gynecologic Cancer
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) released this week new treatment guidelines for patients for 2 uterine cancers, endometrial cancer, the most common gynecologic cancer, and a rare cancer called uterine sarcoma.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) released this week new treatment guidelines for patients for 2 uterine cancers, endometrial cancer, the most common gynecologic cancer, and a rare cancer called uterine sarcoma.
In the release of the guidelines, NCCN notes that while the number of deaths from most cancers are declining in the United States, it is rising for endometrial cancer, which is the most common type of uterine cancer impacting more than 63,000 new patients every year. In 2018 alone, more than 11,000 women are expected to die from the disease.
“The NCCN Guidelines for Patients answer a real need for people with cancer and their loved ones, who want a better understanding of the medical decisions facing them. These guidelines go beyond a basic overview, to truly explain, in plain language, what experts agree are the best, most up-to-date treatment approaches,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, CEO of NCCN, in a statement.
A multidisciplinary team including surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and other experts from leading academic cancer centers worked to create the guidelines. The Guidelines for Patients feature content adapted from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology in a more patient-friendly format including a glossary of terms and medical illustrations.
Additionally, the guidelines are endorsed by Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE). Currently, the NCCN library of patient guidelines includes more than 40 different cancer types, including breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers.
“It’s very useful for patients to be aware of what to expect from their treatment, based on state-of-the-art consensus. I want people to know, if they’re diagnosed with endometrial cancer, they should see a gynecologic oncologist, and not just rely on treatment from a general physician,” said Nabeem Abu-Rustum, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Vice Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Cervical, Uterine, and Vulvar Cancers, in a statement.
