New NCCN Clinical Practice Guideline on Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (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 about 2,500 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 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 three 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.