JENKINTOWN, Pa. — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network announces an important new publication and authoritative source of information to guide the selection of appropriate treatment for patients. The first three chapters of the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium(TM) have been recently released and focus on the appropriate use of drugs and biologics in colon, rectal, and anal cancers.

“A variety of constituencies in the health care community look to NCCN for evaluative information to aid their decision-making. NCCN again is responding to these needs by providing evaluative recommendations in an easy-to-use format,” said William T. McGivney, PhD, CEO of the NCCN. “One target audience for the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium(TM) comprises decision-makers at insurance/managed care companies, PBMs, etc. who seek authoritative and definitive information to establish coverage policies. In cancer care, the issue of the appropriateness of use beyond FDA-approved labeling is critical and is addressed extensively by the Compendium.”

The NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium(TM) delineates the appropriate uses of drugs and biologics in the care of cancer patients. The Compendium’s identified uses are derived directly from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(TM), recognized and applied nationally as the standard for clinical policy in oncology. As with the guidelines, the Compendium will span the continuum of cancer care from early stage to advanced stage disease, from supportive care to palliative care. The Compendium is made available free of charge in user-friendly electronic and paper formats.

The Compendium lists disease indications and specific recommendations for use as described in the NCCN Guidelines. The end-user is also provided the recommendation category that defines the level of evidence and degree of consensus that support the recommendation. Published “chapter-by-chapter”, future chapters of the Compendium will concentrate on acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, lung cancer, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and breast cancer. NCCN anticipates that it will require 18-24 months to develop a full compendium from the guidelines that address appropriate treatment for 97% of all cancer patients and all major supportive care areas.

For more information on the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium(TM) and other NCCN programs, please contact NCCN at 215-690-0255 or at www.nccn.org.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 19 of the world’s leading cancer centers, is an authoritative source of information to help patients and health professionals make informed decisions about cancer care. Through the collective expertise of its member institutions, the NCCN develops, updates, and disseminates a complete library of clinical practice guidelines. These guidelines are the standard for clinical policy in oncology. NCCN’s complete spectrum of programs emphasizes improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice. Programs include: Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology, Drugs & Biologics Compendium, Treatment Guidelines for Patients, the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Leukemia Resource Line, educational conferences and symposia for clinicians, Oncology Outcomes Project, Clinical Trials Network, Cancer Case Manager, and collaborations with managed care organizations. The NCCN member institutions are: City of Hope Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, Boston, MA; Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN; Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; and University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.