NCCN publishes new resources to help patients understand treatment options for stomach cancer
This year, it is estimated that more than 26,000 people will be diagnosed with Stomach Cancer in the United States, with nearly one million new cases diagnosed worldwide each year. Because there are no early symptoms or signs of Stomach Cancer, it is often diagnosed at a later stage, which can complicate treatment. In order to help patients understand their treatment options, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has published NCCN Guidelines for Patients® and the NCCN Quick Guide™ Series for Stomach Cancer. These patient resources are made possible through funding from NCCN Foundation® and generous sponsorship from Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer and No Stomach For Cancer.
“NCCN Foundation is dedicated to providing guidance to people diagnosed with cancer so they and their loved ones are prepared to make informed decisions about their cancer care. Every person with cancer is unique, and we hope that the NCCN Guidelines for Patients will provide the information needed for patients to choose the treatment that is best for them,” said Marcie R. Reeder, MPH, Executive Director, NCCN Foundation. “We thank Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer and No Stomach For Cancer for their generous sponsorship of these important patient resources.”
NCCN Guidelines for Patients, patient-friendly translations of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), are easy-to-understand resources based on the same clinical practice guidelines used by health care professionals around the world to determine the best way to treat a patient with cancer. Each resource features unbiased expert guidance from the nation’s leading cancer centers designed to help people living with cancer talk with their physicians about the best treatment options for their disease.
NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide™ sheets—one-page summaries of key points in the patient guidelines—are written in plain language and include patient-friendly elements, such as questions to ask your doctor, a glossary of terms, and medical illustrations of anatomy, tests, and treatments. NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide™ sheets DO NOT replace the expertise and clinical judgment of the clinician.
“When I was diagnosed in April 2008 with stage IV inoperable and incurable stomach cancer, there were very few resources with little information for someone with this disease,” said Debbie Zelman, President and Founder of Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer. “It gives me hope that the NCCN is offering guidelines to help patients better understand their diagnosis and make informed treatment decisions and we at Debbie’s Dream Foundation are thrilled to be a part of making the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Stomach Cancer a reality.”
“An important part of our global mission is to empower families so that they know there is help available after diagnosis. There are many questions that need to be answered when someone is affected by this disease. We are proud to be a part of this collaborative effort, and believe that the patient guidelines for stomach cancer will be an invaluable resource for patients, families, and caregivers worldwide,” said Jonathan Florin, Executive Director, No Stomach For Cancer.
NCCN currently offers NCCN Guidelines for Patients for the following: Breast, Colon, Esophageal, Kidney, Non-Small Cell Lung, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate, and Stomach Cancers; Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults; Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia; Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia; Hodgkin Lymphoma; Lung Cancer Screening; Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma; Melanoma; Multiple Myeloma; Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas; and Soft Tissue Sarcoma.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)