University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute Joins NCCN

PHILADELPHIA—The Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah is the newest member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), bringing the number of member institutions to 16.

NCCN Members

As a member of this national network of major cancer centers, Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) will join NCCN in its mission to ensure the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective services to cancer patients around the country.

NCCN is making this possible by developing clinical practice guidelines; by gathering and analyzing data on patterns of care, outcomes of care, and costs; and by creating programs for large employers and third-party payers that will allow a broad spectrum of individuals to receive state-of-the-art cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Panels of experts from NCCN unveiled two separate sets of practice guidelines at the 1996 and 1997 NCCN conferences. These guidelines are unique in that they reflect multidisciplinary approaches to cancer care, as well as a geographically diverse patient base.

At the upcoming third annual NCCN conference (March 1 to 4, 1998, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida), NCCN will be unveiling the third set of practice guidelines for cancers of the kidney, testis, uterus, cervix, esophagus, and gastrointestinal system, as well as guidelines on Hodgkin’s disease, myeloma, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome.

There will also be guidelines presentations for screening of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer, and preliminary discussions of guidelines in the controversial area of bone marrow transplantation. In addition, NCCN will address psychosocial aspects of cancer management, issues related to genetic testing, and febrile neutropenia.

With these additions, NCCN will have a collective group of guidelines that account for the treatment of 90% of all cancers. Finally, the conference will devote significant time to the discussion of the development of performance measures and data bases in oncology, and to the data needs of various organizations, especially managed care companies

The Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah was established in 1994 through funding from Jon M. Huntsman, founder of the Huntsman Corporation. HCI’s primary focus is to study the molecular biology and genetics of cancer and to translate this research into improved treatments and cures for the disease.

Representing the Huntsman Cancer Institute on the NCCN national board of directors are Raymond L. White, PhD, executive director of HCI, and Joseph V. Simone, MD, senior clinical director and director of the Huntsman Cancer Care Program.

“The addition of the Huntsman Cancer Institute enables NCCN to positively impact on an even broader and more geographically dispersed base of cancer patients,” said William McGivney, NCCN’s chief executive officer. “The Huntsman brings to NCCN a uniquely qualified network of oncology professionals who will make major contributions to the ongoing development of guidelines, to the collection of outcomes data, and to the improvement of patient care.”