NCCN Affirms Commitment to Cancer-Related Distress Resources Worldwide During Mental Health Awareness Month

The latest version of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's Distress Thermometer and Problem List is available for free in more than 70 languages.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—announces that the latest version of the NCCN Distress Thermometer and Problem List, a rapid validated screening tool (0-10 scale) is available in more than 70 languages to identify and address patient distress. Cancer care providers can quickly and effectively screen patients for mental, physical, social, or spiritual concerns that may make it harder to cope with having cancer, its symptoms, or its treatment using this one-page tool.

People worldwide can visit NCCN.org/distress-thermometer for free access to the NCCN Distress Thermometer Screening Tool in available languages. NCCN also provides free resources to guide care providers on managing distress, as well as a newly-updated version for patients and caregivers with easy-to-understand language, pictures, and glossary, thanks to funding from the NCCN Foundation^®.

"Mental Health Awareness Month, every May, serves as an important reminder of how social-emotional wellbeing can impact people with cancer," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "High-quality cancer care means treating the entire person, identifying and addressing any practical or psychological concerns that come up. We keep the NCCN Distress Thermometer and Problem List current in dozens of different languages to help ensure everyone has access to the support they need."

The Distress Thermometer was downloaded nearly 7,000 times around the world in 2025, most-frequently in Germany, Brazil, India, China, and Switzerland.

A research abstract presented during the NCCN 2026 Annual Conference, and now available at JNCCN.org, by Babayan et. al., validated the translated NCCN Distress Thermometer as a helpful and culturally-appropriate tool for identifying psychological distress in Armenian-speaking patients. The findings support integrating its use in order to enhance cancer care. The NCCN Distress Thermometer was previously confirmed to be an effective gauge for distress through an independent, peer-reviewed study across 25 countries, published in Psycho-Oncology in 2022.

The full list of languages available, in addition to English, include:

* Indicates multiple versions of the language available.

The NCCN Distress Thermometer is a key element of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) for Distress Management. It is part of a comprehensive library of evidence-based, expert consensus-driven guidelines maintained by more than 2,000 multidisciplinary specialists covering many types of cancer, as well as topics like pain, fatigue, smoking cessation, and survivorship. There are currently 91 NCCN Guidelines^® in all, featuring best practices for supportive care, plus screening, prevention, and treatment for nearly every type of cancer.

There are more than 90 global adaptations of the NCCN Guidelines and over 180 translations, with nearly half of all registered users for NCCN.org based outside the United States. Learn more about NCCN's various resources for improving international cancer care by visiting NCCN.org/global.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients^® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation^®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.

Media Contact:
Rachel Darwin
267-622-6624
darwin@nccn.org

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