MEDIA ADVISORY
Cancer Care in an Election Year and Incorporating Patient Values Among Highlights at NCCN Annual Conference, March 31–April 2, 2016
What: The influence of election year politics on cancer care, the safe use of opioids in pain management, and ways to elicit and incorporate patient values into cancer care are among the topics to be addressed at the NCCN 21st Annual Conference:Advancing the Standard of Cancer Care. More than 1,700 of the nation’s leaders in oncology are expected to gather to discuss updates in cancer treatment and issues of broad interest to patients, oncologists, nurses, pharmacists, and health care professionals who care for patients with cancer.
A full conference agenda is here.
When: Thursday, March 31–Saturday April 2, 2016
Where: The Diplomat, Hollywood, FL 33019
Selected Sessions:
Four panelists from both sides of the aisle — including a presidential campaign’s policy advisor and one of the major architects of the Affordable Care Act — will come together to discuss issues surrounding cancer and health care in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. April 1, 8–9:30 am ET.
Members of the media are invited to attend in person. To register, contact Katie Kiley Brown at brown@nccn.org.
Who: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is a not-for-profit alliance of 26 of the nation’s leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research and education. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at its Member Institutions, NCCN develops continually updated guidelines that set the standard of care for patients, clinicians, payers, and other health care decision-makers in the U.S. and abroad.
Visit our online newsroom at NCCN.org/news.
Contact:
Katie Kiley Brown, NCCN Communications Manager
(215) 690-0238
Background on Topics of Interest:
1. Cancer Care in an Election Year
Four panelists and two moderators from both sides of the aisle — including a presidenial campaign’s policy advisor and one of the major architects of the Affordable Care Act — will discuss the issues surrounding cancer and health care in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. Among the considerations: what are the candidates’ stances on health care, and how will cancer fit into the health agenda? What is the future impact on President Obama’s “moonshot” initiative to eliminate cancer? Panelists will explore the fundamental differences that drive the two parties’ health care positions and the policies that guide how cancer care is provided and reimbursed.
2. Value and Patient Preference in Cancer Care
There is no “one size fits all” approach to cancer care: a younger patient might want the most effective treatment despite the side effects, while an older patient might be more concerned with toxicity and side effects. Other patients might be more concerned about affordability. While physicians agree that a patient’s values should always be included in the decision-making process, the best way to communicate with patients regarding their preferences is not always clear. One tool at their disposal is the new NCCN Evidence Blocks, a graphic representation of five value measures including efficacy, safety, quality and quantity of evidence, consistency of evidence, and affordability. Speakers will discuss how clinicians can ensure their patients’ values are being integrated into the decision-making process so that they get the treatment that is right for them.
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The NCCN Value Initiative: Using NCCN Evidence Blocks in Clinical Decisions Thursday, March 31, 2:25–3:25 p.m.
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Understanding and Utilizing Patient Preferences in Cancer Treatment Decisions Friday, April 1, 1:15–2:15 p.m.
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Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN Eric Jonasch, MD, The University of Texas
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Peter A. Ubel, MD, Duke Cancer Institute |
3. Issues in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer
Two sessions will tackle what’s new in the world of breast cancer, from novel treatment agents to the heated public debate over breast cancer screening recommendations.
NCCN Guidelines Update: Breast Cancer
Precision medicine is playing more of a role in breast cancer treatment, with doctors using combinations of new and existing therapies to tailor treatments to individual patients. Some recommendations have evolved, such as how to manage patients with HER2- and hormone-receptor-positive disease, while other recommendations remain the same despite growing bodies of evidence, such as the approach to patients with triple-negative breast cancer. The speakers will discuss what has changed, what hasn’t, and why — and how this information impacts patients.
Controversies in Breast Cancer Screening
At what age should a woman begin mammography and how often should she screen? These may be simple questions, but the answers are complicated. Recommendations are at odds, with major players including NCCN, the American Cancer Society, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force all taking different positions. As these groups work toward creating a consensus document that reveals where they mutually agree, hear about the perspectives that underlie the various recommendations, and what is likely to emerge.
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NCCN Guidelines Update: Breast Cancer Friday, April 1, 11 a.m.–noon |
Controversies in Breast Cancer Screening Strategies Saturday, April 2, 11 a.m.–noon
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William Gradishar, MD, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Kilian Salerno, MD, Roswell Park Cancer
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Facilitator: Speakers: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, MD, PhD, MAS, Kevin Oeffinger, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering |
4. Pain Management and Substance Abuse Risk
As the opioid abuse epidemic escalates, where do patients with cancer — the majority of whom experience pain — fit in? How can providers safely manage patients’ pain while preventing and treating medication abuse or misuse? What are the warning signs of opioid abuse, and how can clinicians screen patients for risk factors before pain treatment begins? At a time when substance abuse and chronic pain are major public health concerns, the speaker argues that clinicians must be smart enough to treat both.
Saturday, April 2, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
5. Other sessions of interest:
Sexual Function in Cancer Survivors: Updates to the NCCN Guidelines for Survivorship
Thursday, March 31, 1:15–2:15 p.m.
Palliative Care: Providing Comfort from a Patient and Provider Perspective
Friday, April 1, 11 a.m.–noon
6. New NCCN Guidelines
7. Updated NCCN Guidelines for the treatment of the following cancer types: