Conquest
Spring 1995

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Network to help standardize treatment

While a prime motivation for networking is to serve more patients, a valuable added benefit will be the standardization of care that will evolve as many of the countryÕs leading cancer centers work together.

With the establishment of the new National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), uniform standards of care are now being developed for treating at least 22 types of cancer. This effort is being led by Dr. Rodger J. Winn, director of M. D. Anderson's Comm unity Oncology Program.

Representatives from the 13 participating NCCN institutions are first determining standards to be followed for treating acute leukemia and cancers of the breast, colon, ovary, prostate and lung. These guidelines should be ready within six months; 15 add itional practice guidelines are expected by the end of 1995.

"This is a monumental task because of the complexity of cancer therapies. For many diseases, there may be only two or three treatment choices, but for most cancers we have multiple options. Our guidelines will reflect the consensus of oncologists at these major cancer centers," Dr. Winn says.

In addition to writing consistent recommendations for standard cancer care, NCCN also will develop guidelines for clinical research and document treatment outcomes. "Clinical research is central to the mission of NCCN," explains Dr. Charles M. Balch, a member of the NCCN Executive Committee and executive vice president for health affairs at M. D. Anderson.

Dr. Balch notes that for many types of cancer, the most appropriate treatment may be given in the context of clinical research using new and innovative protocols. This is especially true for those patients who have failed conventional or standard treatm ent. "Our collaboration will ensure that patients served by network providers have access to such protocols," he says.

Dr. Balch adds that having better treatment outcome data should help dispel the misconceptions about clinical research being "too expensive" for managed care contracts to include.

"Patients who participate in clinical trials often live longer, more productive lives, and an increasing number of them can be cured," Dr. Balch says. "We expect NCCN's cumulative data to show how clinical protocols may be the most cost-effective treatment options for many patients. It also should accelerate ap plying new knowledge to standard cancer care."