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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.