National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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NCCN Updates Prostate Cancer Guidelines

JENKINTOWN, Pa., January 29, 2007 — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announces updates to the NCCN Prostate Cancer Guidelines. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ are widely recognized and applied as the standard for clinical care in oncology in both the community practice setting and in academic cancer centers.

The panel of expert physicians from NCCN Member Institutions revised their recommendations regarding pelvic lymph node dissection. Robotic techniques are now accepted for both pelvic lymph node dissection and radical prostatectomy. According to the panel, in experienced hands, the results of this approach appear comparable to open surgical techniques.

In addition, the guidelines now include a Principles of Life Expectancy Estimation section. Life expectancy is the basis of the initial clinical assessment and is critical to informed decision making in prostate cancer early detection and treatment. The combination of risk of recurrence and life expectancy estimation is a deciding factor for initial therapy.

The panel also recommends that bisphosphonate therapy should be considered in patients with castration-recurrent metastatic prostate cancer since it may prevent skeletal-related events and improve bone mineral density.

NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ are developed and updated continuously through a consensus-driven process with explicit review of the scientific evidence. The most recent version of this and all the guidelines are available free of charge at www.nccn.org.

For questions about NCCN or for interview information, please contact Megan Martin 215.690.0576.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 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 Comprehensive Cancer Center
• 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
• H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
• 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 / University of Tennessee Cancer Institute
• Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center
• University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center
• UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
• University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
• UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center
• The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center