The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has just published new patient education materials for non-Hodgkin lymphomas to help educate and empower patients and promote better communication between patients and their health care teams .1
The new patient-focused guidelines highlight many of the dramatic changes that have occurred in the standards of care. It is hoped oncologists will promote the use of these materials as tools in clinical practice.
“Because the NCCN Guidelines for Patients are based on the NCCN Guidelines, they can help patients to be better informed of the array of treatment choices they have and guide them to work with their health care team to choose the option that best fits their individual needs,” said Marcie Reeder, MPH, who is the executive director of the NCCN Foundation.
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In addition to the 6 new titles including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and peripheral T-cell lymphoma, the NCCN Guidelines for Patients Library also added quick guide versions of each, which are 1-page summaries with links to specific information contained in the full booklet. The guidelines explain what the new treatment options are, such as targeted therapy, radioimmunotherapy, immunomodulator, and chemoprotectants, and what side effects patients can expect with each type of treatment.
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“These patient-friendly versions of the NCCN Guidelines have the same vital content. It is crucial that patients have a reference that they can use to understand all of their treatment options, especially with the many recent changes to the standard of care. When patients are informed with credible information, conversations between patient and providers are much more productive,” Ms Reeder told Cancer Therapy Advisor.
