NCCN Commemorates World Cancer Day with New Commitment to Update Patient Resources
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network pledges to update robust information resources for cancer patients and caregivers on an annual basis in both English and Spanish.
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers based in the United States—and the NCCN Foundation® is honoring World Cancer Day with an announcement about more frequent updates to its free educational resources intended to empower shared decision-making.
World Cancer Day is an international day observed every February 4th to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and mobilize action. The day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)—of which NCCN is a member. This is the second year of the "United by Unique" campaign to place people at the center of care and their stories at the heart of the conversation.
"We are so happy to be announcing, on World Cancer Day, that all of our comprehensive patient information books will now be updated once a year, and be made available in English and Spanish," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "At NCCN, we recognize that every person is unique in their experience with cancer and their individual circumstances, hopes, needs, and priorities. At the same time, we all stand united in our need for factual, trustworthy information to guide us towards our best possible outcome."
Dr. Denlinger continued: "The NCCN Guidelines for Patients are based on the essential, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven guidelines that providers rely on all over the world to stay current on the very latest in cancer care. These award-winning resources present all of the treatment options in plain language, with pictures, a glossary, and suggested questions to ask, so patients and caregivers can make informed choices that are best for them in collaboration with their health care team."
The library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients® includes more than 70 different guidebooks covering cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care for nearly every type of cancer. Each book contains vetted information explaining every step of the care journey from diagnosis through survivorship in language that is easy to understand.
All NCCN Guidelines for Patients® are available for free download online at NCCN.org/patients or by app thanks to funding from the NCCN Foundation®.
The NCCN Guidelines for Patients contain the same information as the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) used by clinicians daily, which have been independently found to be associated with better outcomes, longer survival, and lower costs. The patient guidelines help everyone get on the same page, ensuring all are aware of any treatment choices available, enabling patients to advocate for their own best care. In 2025, the patient guidelines were utilized by more than 2.1 million people and downloaded more than 2.6 million times.
For 2026, NCCN is accelerating the publication schedule to make sure every book is updated annually to keep up with the changing field of cancer care, with 100% available in more than one language. As of World Cancer Day, 81% of the books are available in both English and Spanish, with another 11 languages represented across various topics.
"If knowledge is power, we want to put that power in the hands of every person who needs it—whether they have been diagnosed with cancer themselves, have a friend, colleague, or loved one who's been diagnosed, or are just looking for more information on prevention and screening before cancer symptoms occur," said Patrick Delaney, Executive Director of the NCCN Foundation. "We are also happy to work with employers as well as faith-based and community leaders to help them provide comfort and support to anyone in their network who may be dealing with this difficult disease."
Visit NCCN.org/patients to learn about and access all of the free resources available, and click NCCN.org/foundation for more on how to support endeavors that help all people to live better lives though quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention.
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.
About the NCCN Foundation
The NCCN Foundation empowers people with cancer and their caregivers by delivering unbiased expert guidance from the world's leading cancer experts through the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients® and other patient education resources. The NCCN Foundation is also committed to advancing cancer treatment by funding the nation's promising young investigators at the forefront of cancer research. For more information about the NCCN Foundation, visit nccnfoundation.org.
Media Contact:
Rachel Darwin
267-622-6624
darwin@nccn.org
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