Newswise — FORT WASHINGTON, PA [May 16, 2018]—The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^®(NCCN^®) is embarking on a new collaboration with the Caribbean Association for Oncology & Hematology (CAOH). The nonprofit alliance of leading U.S. cancer centers announced plans to collaborate and develop a library of NCCN Harmonized Guidelines™ for the Caribbeanduring the CAOH Conference — Oncology: Charting a New Course for the Caribbean — in Trinidad and Tobago on May 12.

“This project is just one example of our dedication to expanding global access to quality cancer care,” saidRobert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “By partnering to create these easy-to-follow guidelines, we help overburdened clinicians stay up-to-date on research and innovation. We’re working with oncologists in low- and mid-resource countries to create recommendations that encompass evidence-based best practices. These guidelines will focus on what’s currently attainable and what we hope to make attainable in the future.”

Dr. Carlson was joined at the CAOH conference by Joan McClure, MS, Senior Vice President, Clinical Information and Publications, NCCN; Ben Anderson, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance; Al Benson III, MD, FACP, FASCO, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University; Natalie Callander, MD, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center; Wui-Jin Koh, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance; James Mohler, MD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Douglas Wood, MD, FACS, FRCSEd, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

They participated in a working session with local oncologists to adapt existing NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) and NCCN Framework for Resource Stratification of NCCN Guidelines (NCCN Framework™) in order to better reflect the diverse needs and resources throughout the Caribbean. The archipelago that extends from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south ranks among the highest regions in the world for cancer prevalence. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Caribbean, and the rate of breast cancer deaths is currently twice that of the United States.

“This international partnership between CAOH and NCCN will enable doctors throughout the Caribbean to provide the best possible care for people with cancer,” said Marisa Nimrod, MD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CAOH. “We look forward to creating a blueprint for improving treatment outcomes, and tailoring the available resources to meet the demands of structured, evidence-based cancer prevention and control. These guidelines will also help inform governmental policies in the future.”

The Clinical Team was led by Kavi Capildeo, MBBS, FRCP (Edin), DM, Trinidad and Tobago; Sophia Edwards-Bennett, MD, PhD, DABR, Jamaica; Owen Gabriel, MD, DM (Oncology), St. Lucia; Theresa Laurent, Bsc (Hons), MBBS, DM Oncology/Haematology, Barbados; Dylan Narinesingh, FCRadOnc, MMed; and Gilian Wharfe, MBBS, DM (Haem), The University of the West Indies, Jamaica.

The NCCN Harmonized Guidelines for the Caribbean will initially cover the following cancer types:

• Breast Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Colon Cancer & Colon Cancer Screening
• Multiple Myeloma
• Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Rectal Cancer

As always, these guidelines will be available free-of-charge for non-commercial use via NCCN.org or via the Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines mobile appfor smartphones and tablets.

For more information on the NCCN Harmonized Guidelines, visit NCCN.org/harmonized. For details on NCCN’s various efforts around the world, visitNCCN.org/global. Join the conversation online with the hashtag #NCCNGlobal.

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About the Caribbean Association for Oncology & Hematology

The Caribbean Association for Oncology and Hematology (CAOH) is a Non-Governmental Organization that was re-incorporated in July 2017 to address the developing needs of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as those of the Caribbean, in the fields of Hematology and Oncology. The Association operates under the patronage of Mrs. Sharon Rowley, wife of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley. CAOH’s mission is to develop a regional strategic plan that focuses on quality-of-care, regulation of services offered, and capacity for research to produce annual, evidence-based feedback and standardized cancer guidelines for cancers with the highest burden of disease (Breast, Prostate, Colon, Cervical, Lung and Multiple Myeloma).

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 27 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, 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; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news. Follow NCCN on Twitter @NCCNnews and Facebook @National.Comprehensive.Cancer.Network.