The NCCN Guideline Program: a conceptual framework

Abstract

The goal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) in developing clinical practice guidelines is to provide oncologists with guidance in making difficult clinical decisions. Since the data to make evidence-based decisions are often unavailable, the NCCN method attempts to integrate expert opinion into the process, striving to use that opinion in the most unbiased and reasonable manner through the diversity of its panels and the use of reiterative feedback loops. The development of oncology guidelines is a dynamic process. Each year the NCCN anticipates that the expert opinion elements of the guidelines will either be validated by clinical trial evidence or replaced by newer, sounder approaches.