NCCN Breast Cancer Panel Reaffirms Current Position and Recommendation Regarding the Use of Bevacizumab in Metastatic Breast Cancer
The Expert Breast Cancer Panel of the NCCN met July 10–12, 2011, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The multidisciplinary breast cancer experts voted (24 For, 0 Against, 1 Abstain) in favor of maintaining the current position and recommendation in the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Breast Cancer on the use of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech/Roche) in metastatic breast cancer. The recommendation is as follows:
Bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel is an appropriate therapeutic option for metastatic breast cancer with the evidence designation 2A.
The following footnote accompanies the recommendation: “Randomized clinical trials in metastatic breast cancer document that the addition of bevacizumab to some first or second line chemotherapy agents modestly improves time to progression and response rates but does not improve overall survival. The time to progression impact may vary among cytotoxic agents and appears greatest with bevacizumab in combination with weekly paclitaxel.”
The NCCN Guidelines are developed and updated through an evidence-based process with explicit review of the scientific evidence integrated with expert judgment by multidisciplinary panels of expert physicians from NCCN Member Institutions. The NCCN Guidelines are available free of charge at NCCN.org. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Breast Cancer is available at NCCN.com.
NCCN and Experts from China Collaborate to Develop Colon, Kidney, Non–Small Cell Lung, and Ovarian Cancer Guidelines, China Editions
NCCN announces the launch of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) – China Editions for Colon, Kidney, Non–Small Cell Lung, and Ovarian Cancers, which have been translated into Chinese and are now available on NCCNChina.org. Based on the NCCN Guidelines, the China Editions comprise the extensive expertise of more than 100 Chinese cancer specialists in collaboration with NCCN panel experts. The China Editions contain recommendations revised to account for genetic, pharmacological, and regulatory considerations of the Chinese population.
These latest China Editions add to an already extensive list of Chinese translations of the NCCN Guidelines, including those for Breast, Cervical, Gastric, Head and Neck, Pancreatic, and Rectal Cancers, Adult Cancer Pain, and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas, all of which are also available on NCCNChina.org.
The NCCN Guidelines are the recognized standard for clinical policy in oncology in the United States. Expert clinicians across Asia recognize and apply the NCCN Guidelines in practice and have collaborated with NCCN on the translation, adaptation, and implementation of national versions of the NCCN Guidelines. Of the 1.1 million unique visitors to the NCCN Web site (NCCN.org) every year, almost 300,000 are from Asian countries; 46,000 unique visitors are from China.
NCCN regularly collaborates with international organizations around the world to create and distribute translations of the NCCN Guidelines, which may include modifications representative of metabolic differences in populations, technological considerations, and regulatory status of agents used in cancer management, such as availabilities of drugs, biologics, devices, and procedures.
New Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Guidelines for Patients Available from NCCN
NCCN, with the support of the NCCN Foundation, announces the latest addition to the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients, the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. This resource is a patient-friendly, easy-to-understand translation of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, which physicians use when determining appropriate cancer treatment. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients aim to help people with cancer and their loved ones discuss the best treatment options for them with their physicians.
The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma are supported by Baron & Budd, P.C., attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of people who suffer from cancers like mesothelioma and lung cancer, which are often attributable to environmental toxins.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the mesothelium, or the tissue that covers most organs inside the body, most commonly the lungs. It occurs in approximately 2500 people in the United States every year. Although rare, mesothelioma is deadly, with about half of those diagnosed dying within one year. People diagnosed with mesothelioma have usually worked with asbestos approximately 20 to 40 years prior to diagnosis.
“Baron & Budd is committed to helping people affected by asbestos-related cancers understand both their medical and legal options. We are honored to have sponsored this important resource for patients,” said Russell Budd, president and managing shareholder of Baron & Budd.
Russell Budd is a member of the Board of the NCCN Foundation and has been a shareholder of Baron & Budd since 1985, and president and managing shareholder since 2002. Over the last decade, Mr. Budd has played a significant role in protecting the rights of people injured by exposure to asbestos.
In announcing the publication of the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, NCCN's CEO, William T. McGivney, PhD, acknowledged the importance of bringing this information to patients as rapidly as possible. “The NCCN Foundation was created in no small way to help bring the best treatment guidelines to patients as effectively and quickly as possible,” said Dr. McGivney. “In this case, the Mesothelioma Guidelines for Patients were created from our professional version, reviewed by our experts, and ready for the public in slightly over 3 months. With generous support from donors like Baron & Budd, we can continue to provide authoritative information and recommendations to help patients and their families.”
The NCCN Guidelines are developed by multidisciplinary panels of experts from NCCN Member Institutions and feature algorithms or “decision trees” that address every appropriate management option from initial work-up throughout the course of the disease. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients translate these professional guidelines in a clear, step-by-step manner that patients can use as the basis for making decisions and discussing treatment options with their physicians.
The NCCN Guidelines for Patients are available free of charge at NCCN.com, which, in addition, features informative articles for patients and caregivers. NCCN also offers 7 other NCCN Guidelines for Patients including Breast, Non–Small Cell Lung, Ovarian and Prostate Cancers, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Melanoma, and Multiple Myeloma. Additional NCCN Guidelines for Patients will be available throughout 2011. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma will also be available on Baron & Budd's dedicated mesothelioma Web site, Mesothelioma News.
