National Comprehensive Cancer Network

About NCCN

NCCN Updates Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Guidelines

JENKINTOWN, Pa., January 29, 2007 — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is pleased to announce new updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. These changes highlight leading developments in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and represent the recognized standard for clinical care in oncology in both the community and the academic practice settings.

A significant issue the panel addressed was the data from the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) that showed stage I lung cancer can be detected using annual low-dose CT screening. The 10-year survival rate was 92% for stage I patients whose cancers were promptly removed. However, all stage I patients who chose not to be treated died within 5 years.

The NCCN panel does not recommend the screening CT as standard clinical practice despite the recent data from I-ELCAP. The panel pointed out that no data exists demonstrating that overall mortality is decreased by CT screening. The panel recommends that high-risk individuals participate in a clinical trial evaluating CT screening for lung cancer. If a trial is not available or the high risk individual is not eligible for participation in a trial, then the individual should go to a center of excellence with expertise (in radiology, pathology, cytology, thoracic surgery and general expertise in lung cancer treatment) to discuss the potential risks and benefits before having a screening CT.

NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ are developed and updated through a consensus-driven process with explicit review of the scientific evidence by multidisciplinary panels of expert physicians from NCCN Member Institutions. 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