Latest news with #NCCN
Medscape
26-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Q&A: Familial and Genetic Risk in Ovarian Cancer
Maurie Markman, MD Malignant ovarian neoplasms are a significant cause of cancer mortality in women.[1] Important risk factors include age, family history of breast or ovarian cancer (OC), personal history of breast cancer, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease.[2] Maurie Markman, MD, is president of medicine & science at City of Hope, and he talked to Medscape about the clinical implications of familial and genetic risk in OC. What is the importance of genetics in OC? We know a lot about OC genetics compared to when I started in this area. This is a fascinating part of medical history from over 50 years ago when nobody talked about OC. Patients would tell you that a family member — their mother, sister, or grandmother — had died of something that involved the stomach area. Historically, however, if you went back, there was no way of knowing if it was OC or gastric cancer because gastric cancer was extremely common. Additionally, there was nothing you could do about genetic risk at the time, nor much appreciation of how substantial this risk really is. The cumulative OC risk to age 80 years for women with BRCA1 is 36%-53% and 11%-25% for BRCA2 carriers.[3] What do we know about familial and genetic risk in OC? All patients diagnosed with OC should receive germline genetic testing. This is a decade-old recommendation from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, American Society of Clinical Oncology,[4] Society of Gynecologic Oncology,[5] and European Society for Medical Oncology[6] and it still isn't done. This recommendation is based not only on the increased risk for OC in patients with genetic mutations, including BRCA1 , BRCA2 , MLH1 , MSH2 , or MSH6 (the Lynch syndrome genes), but also due to its implications to patient management and risk-reduction strategies. There is evidence showing that most eligible patients are not offered genetic testing, and the main factors associated with this noncompliance are older age, ethnicity, and insurance coverage.[7] This is a real problem. All healthcare providers, not just gynecologic oncologists, should be aware of the importance of germline genetic testing. Can you tell us more about the implications of genetic testing to patient management? The first implication is to the patient diagnosed with OC. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor-suppressor genes involved in DNA repair, and their loss may cause cancer or change its course. BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation is recognized as a genetic marker for targeted therapy. There is overwhelming evidence that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have incredible impact on overall survival in OC as first-line, second-line, or later maintenance therapy in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed tumors.[8,9] The impact on survival is enormous. This is not a treatment decision up for debate, and you won't know which patient will benefit from PARP inhibitors unless you carry out genetic testing. Beyond patient management, what is the impact of germline genetic testing? Germline testing helps determine a person's genetic predisposition to OC which is different from somatic testing of cancerous cells.[10] The impact extends to the patient's family and their support system. Family members, both male and female, could be at risk for genetic discrimination, including problems with life and health insurance, relationships, and even employment based on cancer risk. Genetic counselors are fundamental to guide patients and healthcare providers to understand the risks associated with pathogenic mutations and to decide on risk-reduction options. Today, genetic testing is strongly recommended because there are risk-reduction strategies that outweigh these negative risks I just mentioned.[4,5,6] When should genetic testing be offered to family members? Personal circumstances and preferences, such as family planning and reproductive options, should guide discussions about screening recommendations. Genetic testing is recommended to individuals with significant family history of OC and those from populations with high pathologic variant carrier frequencies, including Ashkenazi Jews, for example.[4,5,6] For asymptomatic women without a known high-risk hereditary cancer syndrome, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends no screening for OC. What are the strategies for risk reduction? The most effective approach to prevent ovarian and fallopian tube cancers is risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.[11] Typically, it is recommended to patients with pathologic variants in BRCA1/2, BRIP1, RAD51C, RAD51D , or MLH1, MSH2 , and MSH6 . Surgery can reduce the risk for gynecologic tumors by 80%-90% and decrease the all-cause mortality by 77%. The timing of surgery is also influenced by the patient's age, desire for pregnancy, family history, and the consequences of premature menopause. Can you tell us more about ongoing clinical trials about OC that could change clinical practice? I can mention two different approaches that could change clinical practice: bilateral salpingectomy for OC prevention and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of patients with poor survival prospects. Based on a theory that most OCs originate in the fimbriated end of the fallopian tube and then spread to the ovary, the hypothesis is that surgical resection of the fallopian tubes in women with increased risk may prevent the development of epithelial OC and avoid premature menopause.[12] We still need to know more about surgery eligibility and long-term survival outcomes. Very interesting. What are ADCs? ADCs are targeted therapies consisting of monoclonal antibodies capable of delivering cytotoxic drugs, the payload, directly to the tumor site while reducing systemic exposure and toxicity. Ideally, the payload should be released in the intracellular space.[13] Currently, there are many clinical trials trying to identify suitable targets and clinically effective therapies that could increase overall survivor in patients with OC.[14]
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Trusted Oncology Guidelines Get a Digital Makeover: National Comprehensive Cancer Network Launches NCCN Guidelines Navigator
The new interactive guideline tool represents a major format change for gold-standard NCCN Guidelines. PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—announces a new, interactive digital delivery format for the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®). The NCCN Guidelines® are the recognized standard for clinical decision making and policy in cancer care and are the most thorough and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. They assist in the decision-making process of individuals involved in cancer care and prevention—including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, payers, patients and their caregivers—with the ultimate goal of improving patient care and outcomes. The new NCCN Guidelines Navigator ™ presents the evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations from the NCCN Guidelines in a virtual platform that allows users to search and navigate more easily. Access to the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ is available with a free NCCN account for non-commercial use. Features of the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ include: 'This is truly the future of cancer treatment guidance,' said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. 'Cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and supportive care that follows internationally-trusted guidelines has been shown time and again to improve outcomes for people with cancer. I'm proud that we've achieved our ambitious goal for increasing the accessibility and usability of the content from the NCCN Guidelines without compromising any quality.' The NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ recently began beta testing for colon and prostate cancers. That was followed by rectal cancer, which was published on June 16, 2025. NCCN will continue to publish NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ for additional cancer types until all 88 NCCN Guidelines are available in the new format. The original pdf format will also remain available for all NCCN Guidelines. Both forms will feature the most up-to-date information users rely upon for daily use in cancer care and prevention. People who access the NCCN Guidelines in any format, including via the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™, can earn CE/MOC credit through the new NCCN Guidelines in Practice ™—which was just announced earlier this month. NCCN also plans to continue to optimize this new tool, including adding artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to make searching even more conversational and intuitive, plus increased integration with NCCN's other resource offerings. 'It has been 30 years since we first launched the NCCN Guidelines; since then, they have come to be used by millions of people worldwide every year, including more than 90% of U.S. and global physicians surveyed,' said Dr. Denlinger. 'Cancer care is becoming increasingly effective but also more complicated every year. The new NCCN Guidelines Navigator tool simplifies the evolving evidence from the latest research, leverages expertise to put it into context, and places it at the point-of-care for decision-making support and education. This new resource integrates everything we do to support people with cancer and their care providers by defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives.' Visit for more information. About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is marking 30 years as a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation ®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit for more information. Media Contact: Rachel Darwin 267-622-6624 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trusted Oncology Guidelines Get a Digital Makeover: National Comprehensive Cancer Network Launches NCCN Guidelines Navigator
The new interactive guideline tool represents a major format change for gold-standard NCCN Guidelines. PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., June 24, 2025 /CNW/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—announces a new, interactive digital delivery format for the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®). The NCCN Guidelines® are the recognized standard for clinical decision making and policy in cancer care and are the most thorough and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. They assist in the decision-making process of individuals involved in cancer care and prevention—including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, payers, patients and their caregivers—with the ultimate goal of improving patient care and outcomes. The new NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ presents the evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations from the NCCN Guidelines in a virtual platform that allows users to search and navigate more easily. Access to the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ is available with a free NCCN account for non-commercial use. Features of the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ include: Seamless movement throughout a guideline using table of contents or search features Advanced search capabilities and the ability to use filters Highlighter feature for relevant content pathways Color-coded navigation links Easily viewed footnotes linked directly from the pathways Direct links to NCCN Guidelines for Patients® Direct links to the relevant NCCN Chemotherapy Order Templates (NCCN Templates®) for subscribers Zoom capabilities Mobile friendly Built-in tutorial and frequently asked questions Links to PDF format of the guideline "This is truly the future of cancer treatment guidance," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "Cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and supportive care that follows internationally-trusted guidelines has been shown time and again to improve outcomes for people with cancer. I'm proud that we've achieved our ambitious goal for increasing the accessibility and usability of the content from the NCCN Guidelines without compromising any quality." The NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ recently began beta testing for colon and prostate cancers. That was followed by rectal cancer, which was published on June 16, 2025. NCCN will continue to publish NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ for additional cancer types until all 88 NCCN Guidelines are available in the new format. The original pdf format will also remain available for all NCCN Guidelines. Both forms will feature the most up-to-date information users rely upon for daily use in cancer care and prevention. People who access the NCCN Guidelines in any format, including via the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™, can earn CE/MOC credit through the new NCCN Guidelines in Practice™—which was just announced earlier this month. NCCN also plans to continue to optimize this new tool, including adding artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to make searching even more conversational and intuitive, plus increased integration with NCCN's other resource offerings. "It has been 30 years since we first launched the NCCN Guidelines; since then, they have come to be used by millions of people worldwide every year, including more than 90% of U.S. and global physicians surveyed," said Dr. Denlinger. "Cancer care is becoming increasingly effective but also more complicated every year. The new NCCN Guidelines Navigator tool simplifies the evolving evidence from the latest research, leverages expertise to put it into context, and places it at the point-of-care for decision-making support and education. This new resource integrates everything we do to support people with cancer and their care providers by defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives." Visit for more information. About the National Comprehensive Cancer NetworkThe National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is marking 30 years as a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit for more information. Media Contact:Rachel Darwin267-622-6624darwin@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Continuing Education Tool from NCCN Enables Care Providers to Earn Credits While Supporting Cancer Patients
The NCCN Guidelines in Practice™ helps busy health care professionals earn credits toward maintaining licensure and board certification while applying immediate, evidence-based updates to their practice. PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has launched a new continuing education (CE) resource: NCCN Guidelines in Practice™. This new subscription service equips health professionals with continuing education tools to support care decision-making and delivery according to the latest evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations, while earning continuing education and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits for the NCCN Guidelines engagement they are already doing during their daily clinical work. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer care in the United States. They are the most thorough and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The 88 different NCCN Guidelines® cover treatment for nearly every type of cancer, plus prevention, screening, supportive care, and related topics. Numerous independent studies have shown that guideline-concordant care is correlated with better outcomes, longer survival, and lower costs. Individuals who subscribe to the NCCN Guidelines in Practice™ will be able to track every time they utilize one of the NCCN Guidelines while determining the best course of action for their patients—an activity that occurred more than 16 million times in 2024—and seamlessly receive continuing education credit toward maintaining their licensure and board certification. NCCN Guidelines in Practice is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for physicians and awards contact hours for physician associates, nurse practitioners, and nurses. Other members of the oncology care team can receive a certificate of participation. "As a board-certified, practicing oncologist myself, it's hard to express just how exciting this is," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "The NCCN Guidelines in Practice put education where we need it most—at the point-of-care. This will help busy clinicians stay current on cutting-edge cancer care, particularly for some of the rarer cancer types that are covered by the NCCN Guidelines but less likely to be addressed by an in-person or online course. What's more, learning and credit for this continuing education exercise is immediate. As soon as a guideline update is published, people can earn continuing education credit for accessing the latest information." For those who prefer more in-depth explanations for updated treatment recommendations, plus a look at the underlying research and the opportunity to ask questions directly to the experts—NCCN hosts an Annual Conference, Annual Hematologic Malignancies Congress, Breast Cancer Congress, and other events and webinars. These events include in-person networking opportunities, along with virtual and on-demand access to CE content as well. "We recognize that there are providers who specialize in other areas of medicine who use the NCCN Guidelines to learn about oncology updates as well, such as primary care physicians or pediatricians," said Kristin Kline Hasson, Senior Director of Continuing Education, NCCN. "The NCCN Guidelines in Practice makes it easy for everyone to access the information they need while maintaining their required certifications, without adding to an already heavy workload." NCCN Guidelines in Practice is designed for simplicity and ease-of-use, built right into the NCCN website with no separate log-ins. The subscription service seamlessly tracks guideline usage, provides certificates of completion, and, in many cases, automatically syncs with the relevant state medical and certification boards. Visit for more information, including a list of frequently asked questions, and to purchase a subscription. About the National Comprehensive Cancer NetworkThe National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is marking 30 years as a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit for more information. Media Contact: Rachel Darwin267-622-6624darwin@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trusted Oncology Guidelines Get a Digital Makeover: National Comprehensive Cancer Network Launches NCCN Guidelines Navigator
The new interactive guideline tool represents a major format change for gold-standard NCCN Guidelines. PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—announces a new, interactive digital delivery format for the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®). The NCCN Guidelines® are the recognized standard for clinical decision making and policy in cancer care and are the most thorough and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. They assist in the decision-making process of individuals involved in cancer care and prevention—including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, payers, patients and their caregivers—with the ultimate goal of improving patient care and outcomes. The new NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ presents the evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations from the NCCN Guidelines in a virtual platform that allows users to search and navigate more easily. Access to the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ is available with a free NCCN account for non-commercial use. Features of the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ include: Seamless movement throughout a guideline using table of contents or search features Advanced search capabilities and the ability to use filters Highlighter feature for relevant content pathways Color-coded navigation links Easily viewed footnotes linked directly from the pathways Direct links to NCCN Guidelines for Patients® Direct links to the relevant NCCN Chemotherapy Order Templates (NCCN Templates®) for subscribers Zoom capabilities Mobile friendly Built-in tutorial and frequently asked questions Links to PDF format of the guideline "This is truly the future of cancer treatment guidance," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "Cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and supportive care that follows internationally-trusted guidelines has been shown time and again to improve outcomes for people with cancer. I'm proud that we've achieved our ambitious goal for increasing the accessibility and usability of the content from the NCCN Guidelines without compromising any quality." The NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ recently began beta testing for colon and prostate cancers. That was followed by rectal cancer, which was published on June 16, 2025. NCCN will continue to publish NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ for additional cancer types until all 88 NCCN Guidelines are available in the new format. The original pdf format will also remain available for all NCCN Guidelines. Both forms will feature the most up-to-date information users rely upon for daily use in cancer care and prevention. People who access the NCCN Guidelines in any format, including via the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™, can earn CE/MOC credit through the new NCCN Guidelines in Practice™—which was just announced earlier this month. NCCN also plans to continue to optimize this new tool, including adding artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to make searching even more conversational and intuitive, plus increased integration with NCCN's other resource offerings. "It has been 30 years since we first launched the NCCN Guidelines; since then, they have come to be used by millions of people worldwide every year, including more than 90% of U.S. and global physicians surveyed," said Dr. Denlinger. "Cancer care is becoming increasingly effective but also more complicated every year. The new NCCN Guidelines Navigator tool simplifies the evolving evidence from the latest research, leverages expertise to put it into context, and places it at the point-of-care for decision-making support and education. This new resource integrates everything we do to support people with cancer and their care providers by defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives." Visit for more information. About the National Comprehensive Cancer NetworkThe National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is marking 30 years as a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit for more information. Media Contact:Rachel Darwin267-622-6624darwin@ View original content: SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network Sign in to access your portfolio
