eBulletin Newsletter

NCCN Activities Align with National Cancer Plan

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) was honored to engage in a discussion with the President’s Cancer Panel on activities underway to achieve the National Cancer Plan’s goals of reducing the burden of cancer.

Former NCCN CEO Robert W. Carlson, MD, and NCCN Chief Medical Officer Wui-Jin Koh, MD, presented NCCN’s efforts that align with the National Cancer Plan at a September 2023 stakeholder meeting hosted by the President’s Cancer Panel. NCCN CEO Crystal Denlinger, MD, and NCCN Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy Alyssa Schatz, MSW, also served as panelists for subsequent meetings in late 2023.

President's Cancer Panel Report

On February 28, 2024, the Panel released a report – President’s Cancer Panel’s Initial Assessment of the National Cancer Plan – that included recommendations in five priority areas. Below is a list of NCCN programs that align with these priorities.

• Priority: Increase Investment in Biomedical Research
  • Through the NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP) grant mechanism, NCCN facilitates important research through transparent collaboration with external funders and researchers.
• Priority: Ensure Access to High-Quality Insurance Coverage for All
  • The Panel specifically asks payers to use nationally recognized, continuously updated clinical practice guidelines to inform coverage decisions. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) provide appropriate care recommendations across the cancer continuum and are updated in a continuous fashion to reflect the evolving evidence, providing a gold standard reference for care.
• Priority: Build a Sustainable, Robust, and Diverse Workforce
  • NCCN’s Continuing Education activities inform interprofessional oncology care teams about the latest advances to improve patient care. Other NCCN programs engage important stakeholders across the oncology community.
• Priority: Promote Dynamic and Sustainable Community Engagement
  • NCCN’s policy and advocacy work includes efforts to improve health equity. NCCN also engages patients, advocates, and diverse community organizations through our resources for people facing cancer and caregivers, including NCCN Guidelines for Patients^®.
• Priority: Prioritize Data Sharing and Integration to Accelerate Research
  • NCCN shares best practices, research tools, and more through our alliance of 33 leading cancer centers and beyond. We continually optimize our resources to make them even more inclusive and accessible.

The report includes a table of activities related to the National Cancer Plan's goals. NCCN is noted for contributing to goals to prevent cancer, detect cancers early, eliminate inequities, deliver optimal care, and engage every person.

In the conclusion of the report, the Panel states: “As a society, we need policies, systems, and strategies to ensure that every person in the United States—regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, where they live, or level of resources—has access to the best possible cancer care and cancer control services”.  NCCN aligns with this goal through our resources, mission, and vision.