Lung Cancer - Lung Cancer Patients

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - To aid Americans battling lung cancer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), composed of 19 of the world's leading cancer centers including the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, recently released the Lung Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients. Based on a collaborative effort between NCCN and the American Cancer Society, the Lung Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients is designed to help patients and their families make more informed decisions about lung cancer treatment. The guidelines were derived from the NCCN clinical practice guidelines that are used by doctors nationwide. "The collaboration between the NCCN and the American Cancer Society provides access to patient versions of the same guidelines oncologists use to aid their decisions about appropriate treatment," said William T. McGivney, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the NCCN. "Our goal is to inform and facilitate this critical decision-making process between patient and physician." Written in easy-to-understand language, the patient guideline booklet provides comprehensive, up-to-date information about treatment options available for patients, and includes information on the various types of cancer, tests and exams, treatment options, clinical trials, and a glossary of lung cancer terms. "This is really a step-by-step guide that takes patients through the general concepts of their care from diagnosis to treatment," Gregory Kalemkerian, M.D., co-director of Thoracic Oncology at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center and NCCN Lung Cancer Panel Member. "It helps them understand why certain treatments are or are not being recommended by their physician, to really give them a feeling that they are receiving the best standard of care." According to the American Cancer Society, there will be nearly 170,000 new cases of lung cancer this year. Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer and the most common cause of cancer deaths among both men and women. Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients is part of an informational series to help patients and their families make more informed decisions regarding their cancer treatment. Other guidelines cover supportive care topics such as nausea and vomiting; fever and neutropenia; cancer-related fatigue; and cancer pain. Other items in the series provide information on cancer of the prostate, ovaries, colon and rectum. Many titles are available in Spanish as well as English. These materials are available free of charge through NCCN's Web site at www.nccn.org or by calling NCCN toll-free at 1-888-909-NCCN. The free materials are also available from the American Cancer Society's Web site, www.cancer.org, or by calling 1-800-ACS-2345. Written by: Krista Hopson