National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines: Who Makes Them? What Are They? Why Are They Important?

Abstract

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer centers dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so that patients can live better lives. The NCCN offers a number of programs and resources to give clinicians access to tools and knowledge that can help guide decision making in the management of cancer, including the flagship product, the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines). The NCCN Guidelines provide evidence-based, consensus-driven guidance for cancer management to ensure that all patients receive preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and supportive services that are most likely to lead to optimal outcomes. They are intended to assist all individuals who impact decision making in cancer care, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, payers, patients and their families, and many others. The development of the NCCN Guidelines is an ongoing and iterative process based on a critical review of the best available evidence and the consensus recommendations made by a multidisciplinary panel of oncology experts. The NCCN Guidelines are the most detailed and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine and are the recognized standard for cancer care throughout the world. NCCN Guidelines are used by clinicians, payers, and other health care decision makers around the world to ensure delivery of high-quality, accessible, patient-centered care aimed at optimizing patient outcomes.