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NCCN Announces Projects to Improve Ovarian Cancer Care, with AstraZeneca

NCCN Oncology Research Program to explore using technology to improve patient experience for people undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [March 9, 2020] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) announces four projects selected to receive support directed towards improving the quality of care for advanced ovarian cancer patients. The chosen projects are intended to be reproducible, scalable, and rapidly implementable while providing quantifiable outcome measures. The projects will begin in the third quarter of 2020 and continue for two years. The projects are being funded through a collaboration with AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, which is also currently funding a similar program for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

“Advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer is currently the deadliest gynecologic cancer,” said Wui-Jin Koh, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NCCN. “It requires a multi-disciplinary approach for management, which can provide challenges for optimal coordination. These projects will explore opportunities to leverage technology in order to improve patient outcomes and quality of life through supportive services, shared decision-making, and innovative methods of care delivery. They also focus on approaches which will hopefully help reduce disparities within current health delivery systems.”

The selected projects are:

  • CommunityRx-Cancer: An IT-enhanced Patient Navigation Program for Social Determinants of Health in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
  • Feasibility and Impact of a Comprehensive Telehealth Program on Reducing Geographic Barriers to Treatment and Improving Symptom Management in Rural Patients with Advanced Ovarian Cancer
  • Patient-centered Education and Support for Women with Advanced Ovarian Cancer
  • REVITALIZE: A Telehealth Intervention for Women with Advanced Ovarian Cancer and PARP Inhibitor-Related Fatigue

“Approximately 22,000 women in the US are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, making it the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women,” said Adrian Kilcoyne, MD, VP, US Medical Affairs, AstraZeneca. “We are pleased to partner with NCCN in support of this important work in ovarian cancer. AstraZeneca’s commitment to eliminating cancer as a cause of death must extend beyond innovative medicines and include partnerships that seek to improve the quality of cancer care for patients.”

The NCCN ORP fosters innovation and knowledge discovery that improves the lives of people with cancer and supports preclinical, translational, clinical research and quality improvement projects in oncology at NCCN Member Institutions. In an effort to improve collaboration in cancer research, the NCCN ORP also maintains a shared resources website and an informed consent database. For more information, visit NCCN.org/orp.

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