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An estimated 38,890 Americans will be diagnosed with kidney cancer and 12,840 will die of this disease in the United States in 2006. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) constitutes approximately 2% of all malignancies, with a median age at diagnosis of 65 years. Smoking and obesity are among the risk factors for RCC development, and tumor grade, local extent of the tumor, presence of regional nodal metastases, and evidence of metastatic disease at presentation are the most important prognostic determinants of 5-year survival. These guidelines discuss evaluation, staging, treatment, and management after treatment.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org

In 2006, an estimated 62,190 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed, and approximately 7910 patients will die of the disease in the United States. The incidence of melanoma continues to increase dramatically. Risk factors for melanoma include family history, dysplastic nevi, and fair skin that sunburns easily; however, melanoma can occur in any ethnic group and in people who have not had substantial sun exposure. The NCCN Melanoma guidelines attempt to distill and simplify an enormous body of knowledge and experience into fairly simple management algorithms.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org

Early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly curable malignancy, but controversies surrounding treatment recommendations persist due to the sheer number of treatment choices available, as well as the effort to balance risk versus benefit for each individual patient. The gold standard for treatment has evolved over the years. Currently, in the PET era, fine-tuning therapy approaches is largely focused on avoiding giving too much therapy to patients with a negative interim PET and too little therapy to those with a positive interim PET. Careful patient selection for therapy has become increasingly important, as patient risk factors for early-stage disease are variably defined by German Hodgkin Study Group, EORTC, and NCCN criteria.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. An estimated 171,900 new cases (91,800 in men, 80,100 in women) of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2003, and 157,200 deaths (88,400 in men, 68,800 in women) will occur due to the disease. Only 14% of all lung cancer patients will be alive 5 years or more after diagnosis. The primary risk factor for lung cancer is smoking, which accounts for over 85% of all lung cancer-related deaths. The guidelines discuss diagnosis, staging, therapy, and surveillance for non-small cell lung cancer.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org

An estimated 11,150 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2007; 3670 deaths are expected from the disease. Although cervical cancer rates are decreasing among women in the United States, it remains a major world health problem. It is the third most common cancer in women worldwide, with 78% of cases occurring in developing countries. Because persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered the most important factor contributing to the development of cervical cancer, immunization against HPV is expected to prevent some cancer. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology discuss this and other epidemiologic risk factors, as well as treatment options.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers originating in the esophagus, gastroesophageal (GE) junctions, and stomach constitute a major health problem worldwide; esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer worldwide. An estimated 16,470 new cases of and 14,280 deaths from esophageal cancer will occur in the United States in 2008. Risk factors associated with development of esophageal cancer include age, male gender, Caucasian race, high body mass index, Barrett's esophagus, and history of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Important updates for the 2009 guidelines include a new page on “Principles of Best Supportive Care” that gives specific recommendations for esophageal cancer best supportive care throughout the guidelines.

To view the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology on Gastric Cancers, please visit the NCCN Web site at www.nccn.org.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer mortality in women in the United States. Fewer than 40% of women with ovarian cancer are cured, and 70% of patients present with advanced disease; because of the location of the ovaries, ovarian cancer has been difficult to diagnose at earlier stages. Epidemiologic studies have identified risk factors, including family history. The NCCN guidelines discuss epithelial ovarian cancer as well as less common ovarian histopathologies, including germ cell neoplasms, carcinosarcomas (malignant mixed Müllerian tumors of the ovary), and ovarian stromal tumors. For 2008, updates include the addition of platinum-based combination therapy as a possible treatment modality for recurrence and a listing of preferred agents for acceptable recurrence modalities. New information was also added to the section on clinical presentation.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org

Infectious diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. In certain instances, the malignancy itself can predispose patients to severe or recurrent infections. Neutropenia has been recognized for many decades as a major risk factor, and effective strategies to anticipate, prevent, and manage infectious complications in patients with cancer experiencing neutropenia have led to improved outcomes. Reflecting the heterogeneity of immunocompromised conditions in patients with cancer and the spectrum of pathogens to which they are susceptible, NCCN expanded the scope of the Fever and Neutropenia Panel in 2007 to create guidelines on Prevention and Treatment of Cancer-Related Infections. These guidelines, newly updated for 2008, characterize major categories of immunologic deficits in persons with cancer and the major pathogens to which they are susceptible.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org

An estimated 33,370 people will die of pancreatic cancer in the United States in 2007, making it the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death among men in the United States. Although incidence is roughly equal among men and women, African Americans appear to have a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer than white Americans. The NCCN Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Guidelines discuss risk factors, diagnosis and staging, and treatment through palliative care or surveillance for patients with tumors of the exocrine pancreas. Overall, in view of the poor outcome of patients with all stages of pancreatic cancer, the NCCN panel recommends that investigational options be considered in all phases of disease management. Specific palliative measures are recommended for patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma characterized by biliary or gastric obstruction, severe abdominal pain, or other tumor-associated manifestations of the disease.

For the most recent version of the guidelines, please visit NCCN.org