Healthcare Industry News: National Comprehensive Cancer Network
News Release - January 8, 2007
NCCN Updates Multiple Myeloma Guidelines
JENKINTOWN, Pa.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is pleased to announce several new updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(TM) for Multiple Myeloma. These changes highlight leading developments in the treatment of multiple myeloma and represent the recognized standard for clinical policy in oncology in both the community and the academic practice settings.Assessing the response to treatment is a key determinant of myeloma treatment. The guidelines list two different sets of response criteria, one developed by the European Group for Bone and Marrow Transplant and the other developed by the International Myeloma Working Group. Both tables are new to the guideline.
Use of the International Staging System (ISS) is also new to the guidelines. Based on the results of the clinical and laboratory evaluation, patients are initially classified as either having smoldering (asymptomatic) disease or active (symptomatic) disease. Those with active disease are then further categorized according to stage, based on either the Durie Salmon staging system or the International Staging System (ISS).
Diagnostic tests such as free light chain, MRI and PET/CT scan have been added to the follow-up/surveillance recommendations throughout the guidelines.
Several new induction regiments for potential transplant candidates are listed in the guidelines. Additional options for non-transplant candidates containing alkylating agents are also listed. Research into various induction regimens has focused on improving the complete response rates in both transplant and non-transplant candidates.
NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(TM) are developed and updated through a consensus-driven process with explicit review of the scientific evidence by multidisciplinary panels of expert physicians from NCCN member institutions. The most recent version of this and all the guidelines are available free of charge at www.nccn.org.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 20 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. 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 primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives.
The NCCN member institutions are: City of Hope Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham & Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, 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; Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital & Richard J. Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; 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/University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN; Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
For more information, visit www.nccn.org.
Source: National Comprehensive Cancer Network
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