JENKINTOWN, Pa., May 9, 2007 — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers, has launched a new resource for patients on WebMD—“Cancer Care: Choosing Your Best Treatment Team.”  Roswell Park has joined as a participating institution.

For patients newly diagnosed with cancer, anxiety and uncertainty make medical care decisions difficult. Treatment is usually complex, with several types of cancer care specialists simultaneously involved in a patient’s care. This NCCN-sponsored resource, located at www.webmd.com/solutions/cancer-care, provides some clarity. Along with advice for patients on how to choose a hospital and cancer care providers, the resource explains the roles within the cancer care team and how a patient can select the best medical professionals for each facet of their treatment. With the information provided in this page, patients are also offered a guide for improving communication with their cancer care team. 

Depending on the type of cancer a patient has, the best treatment may be enrolling in a clinical trial. However, locating the appropriate trial is often challenging. This resource offers patients a portal to search all the clinical trials currently being conducted at NCCN Member Institutions. 

 “NCCN is proud to offer this website as a service to patients navigating their way through the complicated cancer care delivery system,” said Patricia J. Goldsmith, NCCN Senior Vice President of Business Development, Public Affairs and Policy.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. 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 primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: City of Hope, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, 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 & 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; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN; Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN.

For more information, visit www.nccn.org.