The collective effort to optimize and standardize treatment practices now covers more than 90% of adult cancer incidences as well as a growing number of pediatric diseases.
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA., December 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) — an alliance of leading academic cancer centers in the United States — celebrates six years of collaboration alongside the African Cancer Coalition (ACC), the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), as part of Allies Against Cancer. The collaboration was formed to support and empower the sub-Saharan African oncology community to strengthen health system capacity, deliver high-quality cancer care and improve access for all patients.
Allied Against Cancer’s work involves several initiatives, including the development of the NCCN™ harmonized guidelines for sub-Saharan Africa. These evidence-based recommendations build on expert consensus within the region on context-specific approaches to treating nearly all adult cancers in more than a dozen countries in the region.
The NCCN™ harmonized guidelines for sub-Saharan Africa are available free of charge at NCCN.org/harmonized or via the NCCN Guidelines Virtual Library® Application.
“The oncology community in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is working with the NCCN to strengthen the capacity of our professionals to meet the challenge of cancer care in SSA and the cases which are increasing at a significant rate,” said Teacher Isaac Adewoleformer Nigerian Minister of Health, Co-Chair of the ACC. “Allied Against Cancer activities and tools such as the NCCN harmonized guidelines help us ensure that cancer care can be delivered in accordance with the latest research, based on all available resources. Standardizing care according to established best practices allows us to better anticipate what our needs will be. , including medicines, which facilitates price negotiation and increased necessary infrastructure as well as participation in clinical trials and international conferences or meetings.
The first harmonized NCCN guidelines for sub-Saharan Africa were launched in November 2017, at the African Organization for Research and Training on Cancer (AORTIC) biennial international conference on cancer in Africa In Kigali, Rwanda.
Since then, the library has grown to include 54 harmonized NCCN guidelines for sub-Saharan Africa, providing best practice cancer treatment recommendations for more than 92% of all adult cancer incidences in the region, including breast, prostate and cervical cancers. as supportive care resources and screening recommendations. Recently, groups have focused on developing pediatric guidelines.
“We are honored to be able to work alongside these dedicated local experts from the African oncology community and our collaborators at Allied Against Cancer,” said Crystal S. DenlingerMD, CEO, NCCN. “We hope that efforts like this will continue to promote both pragmatic and ambitious improvements in care around the world, while supporting our oncology colleagues in their delivery of optimal cancer care.”
In 2023 alone, the group released 35 updated guidelines. At the 14th AORTIC International Cancer Conference in Africa detained in Dakar, Senegal At the end of 2023, oncologists from the region presented the implementation of the harmonized guidelines in their countries, with the support of the ACS.
“We were fortunate to be able to expand and update the harmonized guidelines this year during meetings in Rwanda, ZimbabweAnd Senegalin order to continue making progress in the fight against the growing cancer burden in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Shanthi SivendranMD, MSCR, MBA, Senior Vice President, Cancer Care Support, ACS. “Our goal is to ensure that oncologists and patients in the sub-Saharan region have access to the tools they need to provide the best possible care, while often facing staffing and equipment shortages.
The NCCN™ Library of Harmonized Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa is endorsed by Federal Ministries of Health and major cancer centers in the country. Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, UgandaAnd Zambia, representing 44% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa. To date, the NCCN harmonized guidelines for sub-Saharan Africa have been downloaded more than 56,000 times.
Learn more about Allied Against Cancer’s collaborative work to improve cancer care in sub-Saharan Africa at allyagainstcancer.org.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The global national cancer control network® (NCCN®) is a non-profit alliance of major cancer centers dedicated to patient care, research and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable and accessible cancer care so that all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention and support services; They are the recognized standard for clinical guidance and policy in cancer management and the most comprehensive and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide specialist cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. The NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, collaboration and publication in oncology research. Visit NCCN.org for more information.
Media Contact:
Rachel Darwin
267-622-6624
darwin@nccn.org
SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network
