NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Distress Management, Version 2.2023

Featured Updates to the NCCN Guidelines

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Michelle B. Riba University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center

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Kristine A. Donovan Moffitt Cancer Center

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Kauser Ahmed UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

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Barbara Andersen The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute

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IIana Braun Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center

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William S. Breitbart Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

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Benjamin W. Brewer University of Colorado Cancer Center

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Cheyenne Corbett Duke Cancer Institute

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Jesse Fann Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

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Stewart Fleishman Consultant

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Sofia Garcia Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University

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Donna B. Greenberg Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

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George F. Handzo Rev. Consultant

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Laura Herald Hoofring The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

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Chao-Hui Huang O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB

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Sean Hutchinson UT Southwestern Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center

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Shelley Johns Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center

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Jennifer Keller Fox Chase Cancer Center

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Pallavi Kumar Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania

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Sheila Lahijani Stanford Cancer Institute

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Sara Martin Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

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Shehzad K. Niazi Mayo Clinic Cancer Center

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Megan Pailler Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

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Francine Parnes Patient Advocate

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Vinay Rao Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

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Jaroslava Salman City of Hope National Medical Center

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Eli Scher Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute

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Jessica Schuster University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center

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Melissa Teply Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center

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Angela Usher UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

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Alan D. Valentine The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

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Jessica Vanderlan Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine

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Megan S. Lyons National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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Nicole R. McMillian National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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Susan D. Darlow National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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These NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management discuss the identification and treatment of psychosocial problems in patients with cancer. All patients experience some level of distress associated with a cancer diagnosis and the effects of the disease and its treatment regardless of the stage of disease. Clinically significant levels of distress occur in a subset of patients, and identification and treatment of distress are of utmost importance. The NCCN Distress Management Panel meets at least annually to review comments from reviewers within their institutions, examine relevant new data from publications and abstracts, and reevaluate and update their recommendations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights describe updates to the NCCN Distress Thermometer (DT) and Problem List, and to the treatment algorithms for patients with trauma- and stressor-related disorders.

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