Cancer network offers new resources for rectal cancer patients

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has published new resources, including guidelines for patients and a quick guide sheet for rectal cancer – in addition to resources for colon cancer from earlier this year – to help patients with rectal cancer make informed choices about their care, according to a press release.

With support from Fight Colorectal Cancer, patients will have access to easy-to-understand guidelines based on the same clinical evidence used by health care professionals to determine the best way to treat cancer patients, according to the release.

Each resource includes expert guidance from top cancer centers created to help people living with cancer understand and talk about their treatment options with health care providers, per the release. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide sheets, one-page summaries of the main points in the patient guidelines, include questions to ask one’s physician, a glossary and medical illustrations of anatomy, tests, and treatment, according to the release.

“It is so important for patients and their families to have access to reliable, up-to-date and understandable information about their cancer to assist in composing questions and making decisions about their care when seeking guidance from their clinicians,”