MENA/NCCN Regional Meeting to be Held in November in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
NCCN continues to work closely with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Coordinating Office for NCCN Collaboration, situated at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This coming November, NCCN staff and faculty from NCCN Member Institutions will travel to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to participate in a MENA/NCCN Regional Meeting. Held in conjunction with the 2nd Emirates Oncology Conference, the regional meeting will offer representatives from MENA and relevant NCCN Guidelines Panel Members the opportunity to discuss application of the NCCN Guidelines for Lymphomas and Colorectal Cancers in the region. Additional NCCN faculty will participate in the meetings via teleconference to discuss regional adaptations of the NCCN Guidelines for Breast, Non-Small Cell Lung, Prostate, and Hepatobiliary Cancers.
In January 2012, NCCN participated in the MENA Congress which was held in Doha, Qatar; this congress dedicated emphases on the NCCN Guidelines for Breast and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers, with a special additional workshop illustrating the NCCN Guidelines processes and effective clinical application.
Coming Soon! NCCN International Educational Activities Program
NCCN plans to launch the NCCN International Educational Activities Program (NCCN IEAP) in late-July 2013. NCCN IEAP recognizes ex-US physicians who have demonstrated an understanding of the NCCN Guidelines, as measured by successful completion of NCCN Guidelines educational content. Completion certificates will be available for successful demonstration of general knowledge of NCCN Guidelines, as well as for specific disease types, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, breast, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers. Additional tumor types are forthcoming.
For an NCCN IEAP completion certificate for general knowledge of the NCCN Guidelines, the annual required number of successfully completed educational hours is 12. The curriculum includes the successful completion of the NCCN Guidelines Development module, with the balance of hours consisting of a mix of available NCCN educational content in at least 4 disease types, with no more than 3 hours per disease type.
A disease-specific completion certificate requires successful completion of the 12 hours, as described above, as well as an additional 8 hours of disease-specific education. Physicians may qualify for multiple disease-specific completion certificates each with the 8-hour required educational hours.
The NCCN educational content hours may be completed online or in-person. Educational resources across multiple NCCN Guidelines will be available for this program through the NCCN Continuing Education Portal. Registration will be required.
Look for further updates on the NCCN IEAP in the coming weeks. For more information, visit NCCN.org/IEAP.
New NCCN Guidelines for Patients Now Available for Esophageal Cancer
NCCN, through generous support from the Honorable Ellen O’Kane Tauscher, announces the availability of the latest addition to the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients; the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Esophageal Cancer is now available free-of-charge at NCCN.com and NCCN.org.
The NCCN Guidelines for Patients, patient-friendly translations of the NCCN Guidelines, are designed to provide people with cancer and their caregivers state-of-the-art treatment information in easy-to-understand language.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), one distinct challenge faced by individuals diagnosed with esophageal cancer is that the disease is often detected at a late stage, making treatment difficult. In 2012, NCI estimated that more than 17,000 people would be diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the United States, and more than 15,000 of them would die as a result of the disease.
NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Esophageal Cancer is written for patients diagnosed with any stage of the disease and their caregivers, and is supported by a donation from Ms. Tauscher, Strategic Advisor for Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control & International Security; Former Member of Congress; Chair of the NCCN Foundation Board of Directors; and esophageal cancer survivor.
“I made a personal commitment to make available the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Esophageal Cancer and get it into the hands of the many people affected each year by this diagnosis,” said Ms. Tauscher. “This is my way to ‘pay it forward’ and help all cancer patients become cancer survivors.”
The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Esophageal Cancer is dedicated to the memory of Marie O’Kane, Ms. Tauscher’s paternal grandmother, who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1973.
“NCCN is pleased to announce the availability of the NCCN Guidelines for Patients for Esophageal Cancer,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, CEO, NCCN. “The dedication of the NCCN Foundation, in conjunction with the support and enthusiasm of individuals like Ms. Tauscher, truly allow for the empowerment of patients and their caregivers, through the creation and dissemination of world-class treatment recommendations. NCCN is honored to receive support from Ms. Tauscher for this project.”
The NCCN Guidelines are developed by multidisciplinary panels of experts from NCCN Member Institutions and feature algorithms that address appropriate management options from initial work-up throughout the course of the disease. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients translate the professional guidelines in a clear, step-by-step manner that people can use as the basis for making decisions and discussing treatment options with their physicians.
NCCN currently offers 12 additional NCCN Guidelines for Patients, including Breast, Colon, Non-Small Cell Lung, Ovarian, Pancreatic, and Prostate Cancers, Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA), Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Melanoma, Multiple Myeloma, and Lung Cancer Screening. Print versions are available for certain disease types. Please e-mail patientguidelines@nccn.org to request free copies.
Dr. Benjamin Anderson Appointed Chair of New NCCN International Program Committee
NCCN has appointed Benjamin O. Anderson, MD, Chair of the new NCCN International Program Committee. Dr. Anderson serves as Director, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center-based Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI), and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Breast Health Clinic, and is a member of the NCCN Breast Cancer Panel.
“I am delighted to work with NCCN on this important international project,” said Dr. Anderson. “The value of the NCCN algorithms will increase exponentially as the International Committee works with collaborators from other regions of the world to help identify how NCCN content can best be adapted to their regional needs and resources. This is an exciting time in global medicine.”
Dr. Anderson created and chairs the BHGI, which develops and studies implementation of resource-sensitive, culturally appropriate guidelines for breast cancer early detection, diagnosis, and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. As private sector advisor on the US delegation to the 58th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Anderson contributed to the first WHO Cancer Prevention and Control Resolution passed in 2005.
Dr. Anderson also serves as Professor of Surgery and Global Health at the University of Washington School of Medicine and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Union for International Cancer Control in 2012.
Comprised of representatives from NCCN Member Institutions, the NCCN International Program Committee is being formed as a result of the growing global influence of and demand for the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines). The committee is charged with providing programmatic guidance for the NCCN International Program’s current and future initiatives around the world.
In 2012, nearly half of the registered users of NCCN.org reported that they lived outside of the United States and, concurrently, NCCN approved requests for permission for distribution of NCCN content in more than 20 countries. To that end, NCCN has introduced new resources, such as guidelines translated into multiple languages and avenues, including mobile applications, for enhanced access to the library of NCCN clinical resources available for utilization by the international community.
“NCCN’s vision is to be the world’s leader in defining and advancing high-quality, high-value cancer care,” said C. Lyn Fitzgerald, Vice President, US & Global Development. “Moreover, we are committed to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives, and we look forward to working with Dr. Anderson and the entire NCCN International Program Committee to help achieve our mission globally.”
For more information regarding NCCN International Programs, visit NCCN.org/international.
