Wui-Jin Koh, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the program to adapt NCCN guidelines to regions of the world with different resource availability. The first guideline to be adapted in this way is for cervical cancer, which is prevalent in the developing world.
Clifford Goodman, PhD, of the The Lewin Group, and Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discuss the affordability of cancer care, the “financial toxicities” of high drug prices, and what could and should be done about it.
Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and William J. Gradishar, MD, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, discuss the evolution of the breast cancer guidelines, the inclusion of varied fields––such as plastic surgery, pathology, patient advocacy, and radiation–– and new treatment changes.
Amy Cyr, MD, of the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, discusses advances made in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer: less radiation and a shorter course, the rising use of molecular profiling, and less invasive surgery and reduced amounts of surgery.
Peter G. Shields, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, discusses the new NCCN Guidelines for helping patients with cancer to stop smoking. Counseling is a critical part of these new recommendations.
Mary Lou Smith, JD, MBA, of the Research Advocacy Network, discusses, from the perspective of a patient advocate, the value of the NCCN guidelines and the impact they have made on cancer care.
