Lurie Cancer Center Joins Regional and Global Experts in Ghana to Update Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa
International oncology experts, including Jessica Altman, MD, Director of Lurie Cancer Center’s Leukemia Program at Northwestern Medicine, are gathering in Accra, Ghana for a series of meetings to update cancer treatment recommendations in the NCCN Harmonized Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa, free resources for optimizing and standardizing cancer care across the region. Dr. Altman, a professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is Vice-Chair of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines Panel for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
The meetings are the latest event from a longstanding collaboration between the African Cancer Coalition (ACC), American Cancer Society (ACS), and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) that collectively form the group Allied Against Cancer. Together, the organizations are focused on providing context-appropriate, evidence-based cancer care strategies that address the unique challenges faced across the region. “These meetings and collaborative partnerships provide a tremendous opportunity to share new knowledge and resources -- and enable more people to benefit from the strides being made against cancer,” said Altman.
“The Sub-Saharan Africa region is dealing with a rapidly rising rate of cancer incidences. Standardizing care based on the latest evidence-based expert consensus-driven recommendations helps ensure consistency in treatment and enables better planning for how to use available resources,” said Dr. Henry Ddungu, Senior Consultant, Hematology/Oncology, African Cancer Coalition. “We can ensure people with cancer receive the most effective treatment by harnessing local expertise combined with global best practices.”
“These guidelines are a critical step for helping cancer care professionals stay current on the latest advancements in treatment. They provide a roadmap for ideal options while also taking into account the challenges that exist when delivering care in resource-limited settings, said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN.
During the meeting, the updates to the NCCN Harmonized Guidelines™ for Sub-Saharan Africa will focus on caring for blood malignancies and children’s cancers. The NCCN Harmonized Guidelines offer color-coded tiers of treatment recommendations based on resource availability. They cover more than 40 different cancer types, plus screening, supportive care, and specific population concerns. They have been utilized nearly 70,000 times since 2017 and have been endorsed by the Federal Ministries of Health and leading cancer centers in Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University is a founding member of NCCN, a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education.
