Newswise — FORT WASHINGTON, PA — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), an alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers dedicated to the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of care provided to people with cancer, announced today the addition of two new NCCN Member Institutions: Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, Jacksonville, Florida, and Rochester, Minnesota; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut.

“The election of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Yale Cancer Center into institutional membership is a true testament to the growth and impact of NCCN,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “The expertise of these academic cancer centers’ faculty enhances the collaboration of NCCN Member Institutions as we further the mission of NCCN to improve the lives of patients with cancer in the United States and worldwide.”

“I look forward to working with Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Yale Cancer Center as members of NCCN,” said Samuel M. Silver, MD, PhD, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chair, NCCN Board of Directors. “These institutions exemplify the best in cancer care and cancer research. Each has unique attributes that will strengthen our network and improve care for patients with cancer.” The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center with a multisite presence. Its three campuses — in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, Jacksonville, Florida, and Rochester, Minnesota — give the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center a broad geographic reach, enabling it to serve diverse patient populations around the world. The campuses are also home to outstanding, internationally recognized physicians and scientists who collaborate across the full spectrum of cancer research, from basic biology to treatment, as they seek ways to reduce the burden of cancer.

“NCCN and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center share a mission to better the lives of cancer patients,” said Robert Diasio, MD, Director, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. “We are excited to work with other NCCN Member Institutions to save lives and improve quality of life for cancer patients across the nation.”

Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital is one of a select network of 41 comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. designated by the National Cancer Institute. Bringing together the resources of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven and Yale School of Medicine, its mission encompasses patient care, research, cancer prevention and control, community outreach, and education.

“We are honored to be elected to NCCN institutional membership,” said Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD, Director, Yale Cancer Center; Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. “The collaboration of over 450 scientists and physicians focused on cancer research and care at Yale provides a strong foundation for breakthroughs in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.”

Originally founded in 1995, NCCN is devoted to patient care, research, and education in order to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) are used as the standard for clinical policy in oncology by clinicians and payers. The NCCN Guidelines® are developed through an explicit review of the evidence integrated with expert medical judgment and recommendations by multidisciplinary panels from NCCN Member Institutions.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 25 of the world’s leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. 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 NCCN Member Institutions are: Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, 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; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; 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/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients.