NCCN enhances widely used breast cancer guidelines with advanced digital features

Today, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®)-a nonprofit responsible for globally utilized guidelines for cancer care-is sharing new NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ resources for breast cancer treatment as well as genetic/familial high-risk assessment, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since launching with three digitized versions of NCCN's benchmark evidence-based clinical practice guidelines earlier this year, NCCN has quickly expanded availability to more than a dozen topics. The interactive format makes recommendations easier to navigate and search and links directly to other NCCN digital resources.

"The NCCN Guidelines Navigator enables health care providers to quickly find and understand the best available evidence-based options for treating each individual person," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN.

The intuitive flow in the NCCN Guidelines Navigator supports easier treatment decision-making based on the latest evidence and expert-consensus. We are pleased to be able to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month by making some of our most widely used guidelines available in multiple formats, ultimately leading to better outcomes for people facing cancer and their loved ones."

Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Features and expanding availability

The NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ features content from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®)-the most frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. NCCN Guidelines^® cover everything from cancer prevention, to screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and supportive care. The new format incorporates seamless movement, advanced search and filter capabilities, color-coded navigation links, and other digital enhancements.

The entire library of NCCN Guidelines will eventually be accessible in both the current PDF format as well as the new, digitized versions. Currently, the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ is available for the following cancer types and topics:

• B-Cell Lymphomas
• Bladder Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Colon Cancer
• Genetic/Familial High Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, Pancreatic, and Prostate
• Head and Neck Cancers
• Hepatocellular Carcinoma
• Kidney Cancer
• Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer/Fallopian Tube Cancer/Primary Peritoneal Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Rectal Cancer
• Uterine Neoplasms

"The NCCN Guidelines were accessed more than 16 million times in the last calendar year overall-with the breast cancer treatment guidelines accounting for about 10 percent of that total," said William J. Gradishar, MD, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Breast Cancer. "Breast cancer prevention, screening, and management is based on complex and rapidly evolving information, impacting millions of people worldwide. We've seen survival rates improve dramatically thanks to scientific advances that help health care providers match the right approach to the right person. The new NCCN Guidelines Navigator format allows us to integrate different resources for improving care into one hub for clinical guidance, patient/caregiver empowerment, and professional development."

Seamless integration and future enhancements

The NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ integrates NCCN Chemotherapy Order Templates (NCCN Templates^®) smoothly into point-of-care in order to improve the safety and convenience of drugs and biologics usage. The NCCN Templates^® standardize patient care, reduce medication errors, and help providers to anticipate and manage treatment-related adverse events.

Additionally, people who access the NCCN Guidelines in any format, including via the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™, can earn CE/MOC credits in real time with an NCCN Guidelines in Practice™ subscription.

The NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ also provides easy access to the NCCN Guidelines for Patients^®, which present the information from the clinical guidelines in lay person-centered terms with a glossary and pictures to aid in patient education and shared decision making.

In the months since the initial beta testing launch, the NCCN Guidelines Navigator™ has been accessed more than 50,000 times and received highly positive feedback. According to a survey response: "The NCCN Guidelines Navigator does a great job of making the existing NCCN Guideline searchable and accessible. The search function quickly suggests relevant sections of the guideline, along with footnotes, references, and regimen information."