NCCN Receives $1 Million Grant to Support Oncology Outcomes Database

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announced that it has received a $1 million dollar unrestricted grant from Genentech, Inc. The grant, which will be provided over a 2-year period, will be used to support the development and expansion of the NCCN’s oncology outcomes database, with emphasis on the areas of breast cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

"This agreement with Genentech, a company well-known for its database expertise, affirms the critical importance of the NCCN’s oncology outcomes database, as well as NCCN’s commitment to the highest quality of cancer care through excellence in research and the collection and analysis of outcomes data," said William T. McGivney, PhD, chief executive officer of NCCN. "NCCN implementation of practice guidelines through performance measurement establishes the model for continuous quality improvement in cancer care."

"We are very excited about the opportunity to support the NCCN in their ambitious undertaking of database development in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the expansion of their efforts in breast cancer," said Susan D. Hellmann, MD, MPH, vice president and chief medical officer, Genentech, Inc. "Genentech is very experienced in outcomes research and database development in other clinical areas. This partnership with the NCCN will enhance our understanding of the ability to treat cancers through data collection and analysis."

Established in 1995, when 13 leading cancer centers joined together to more efficiently and effectively fight cancer, the NCCN has made significant progress through joint initiatives. The oncology outcomes database was launched recently in an effort to provide patients, physicians, and payors with a constant flow of data and information to facilitate optimal decision-making in the treatment of all cancers.

In addition, the NCCN has developed oncology practice guidelines that are steadily becoming the standard for clinical and coverage policy in cancer care. To date, these clinical guidelines provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of 93% of all cancers.

Currently, NCCN member institutions include: Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, Baltimore, Maryland; University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Northwestern University/Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California; The University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, Alabama; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and UNMC/Eppley Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.