Coordinating Office Established to Advance MENA/NCCN Collaboration

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) announces a formal coordinating office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to foster current and future NCCN collaborations in the MENA region.

FORT WASHINGTON, PA — In an effort to advance oncology care available to patients in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announces the MENA Coordinating Office for NCCN Collaboration. The office, located on the King Abdubazig Medied City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will serve to coordinate activities relating to current NCCN programs in MENA as well as the development of future initiatives.

"The MENA Coordinating Office for NCCN Collaboration will be integral to the betterment of patient care in the region through implementation of our expert-developed, evidence-based recommendations for oncology management," said William T. McGivney, PhD, CEO of NCCN.

NCCN has held two educational MENA Congresses in the United Arab Emirates. The first was held in Al Ain and the second in Abu Dhabi. These multiple-disease oncology congresses have served to establish collegial discussion on influential data that support recommendations in specific NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™).

JNCCN - The Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recently published a supplement, "The Abu Dhabi Declaration: Adapted Application of NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology in the Middle East and North Africa Region", that details discussions on clinical care for six tumor types and one on supportive care. This manuscript emphasizes issues in the management of breast, colon, hepatobiliary, non-small cell lung, and prostate cancers, as well as treatment of lymphomas and palliative care among the 16 countries considered.

To further understand the needs of clinicians in the MENA region, NCCN recently conducted an NCCN Trends™ Survey to NCCN.org registrants in the area. Oncology professionals responded from Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Nearly 82 percent of the survey respondents are practicing physicians representing different cancer specialties. Notably, 78 percent claimed to frequently use NCCN Guidelines™ to direct their treatment of patients with cancer, with the majority indicating that they use them very frequently for this purpose. Treatment with drugs and biologics was the most prominent reason cited for accessing the NCCN Guidelines.

NCCN plans to continue work with its clinical colleagues in the MENA region to provide exceptional resources for education and to foster productive and collaborative professional relationships that will ultimately benefit patients with cancer in the area. For additional information on NCCN International Programs, visit NCCN.org/international.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 23 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit NCCN.org.

The NCCN Member Institutions are:

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Duke Cancer Institute
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center / Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Stanford Cancer Institute
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center