FORT WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania, May 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — 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 Caribbean during 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,” said Robert 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 app for 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, visit NCCN.org/global. Join the conversation online with the hashtag #NCCNGlobal.

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).

Visit NCCN.org/news, @NCCNnews on Twitter, and @National.Comprehensive.Cancer.Network on Facebook for more about NCCN.

Media Contact:
Rachel Darwin
267-622-6624
darwin@nccn.org 

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SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network