"The NCCN/ACS

partnership provides men with prostate cancer the most current treatment

information available in a language that is easily understood," said

Rodger J. Winn, MD, chairman of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's

Guidelines Steering Committee. "Using the same decision-making tools

their doctors use helps to empower patients and opens the communication

lines between them and members of their health care team."

Prostate cancer

can often be found early through a combination of a digital rectal exam

and by a blood test that checks the amount of PSA (prostate-specific antigen).

According to the NCCN Prostate Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients,

the best treatment depends on a number of factors. Variables to consider

when determining treatment options include age, overall health, the stage

and grade of the cancer, and feelings about the side effects of different

treatments. The most common treatment options are surgery, radiation and

hormone therapy. Some patients are carefully monitored but not treated

until symptoms of their cancer develop.

"Prostate

cancer can be treated in many cases, but not everyone responds to the

same treatment," said Peter T. Scardino, MD, NCCN Prostate Cancer

Panel chair and chairman of the Urology Department at Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Cancer Center. "These guidelines allow men with prostate cancer to

discuss their treatment options with their health care team."

NCCN Treatment

Guidelines for Patients are derived directly from the NCCN Clinical Practice

Guidelines in Oncology for physicians. The guidelines, created and updated

for cancer treatment nationwide. The patient guidelines provide the same

up-to-date information about treatment options as those for physicians,

but are written in easy-to-understand language.

"Men living

with prostate cancer need to understand their treatment options,"

said Mary A. Simmonds, MD, FACP, national volunteer president of the American

Cancer Society. "These guidelines will help them become more active

in their own health care and guide them through the decision-making process."

For more information about the American Cancer Society, please call 1-800-ACS-2345

or go to www.cancer.org.

Other available

treatment guidelines include topics on breast cancer, colon and rectal

cancers, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, cancer

pain management, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and anemia, and fever and

neutropenia. The guidelines, also available in Spanish, are available

free of charge on NCCN's Web site at www.nccn.org or by calling NCCN toll-free

at 1-888-909-NCCN.

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