Newswise — FORT WASHINGTON, PA — This year, it is estimated that more than 26,000 people will be diagnosed with Stomach Cancer in the United States[1], with nearly one million new cases diagnosed worldwide each year[2]. Because there are no early symptoms or signs of Stomach Cancer, it is often diagnosed at a later stage, which can complicate treatment. In order to help patients understand their treatment options, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) has published NCCN Guidelines for Patients® and the NCCN Quick Guide™ Series for Stomach Cancer. These patient resources are made possible through funding from NCCN Foundation® and generous sponsorship from Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer and No Stomach For Cancer.

“NCCN Foundation is dedicated to providing guidance to people diagnosed with cancer so they and their loved ones are prepared to make informed decisions about their cancer care. Every person with cancer is unique, and we hope that the NCCN Guidelines for Patients will provide the information needed for patients to choose the treatment that is best for them,” said Marcie R. Reeder, MPH, Executive Director, NCCN Foundation. “We thank Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer and No Stomach For Cancer for their generous sponsorship of these important patient resources.”

NCCN Guidelines for Patients, patient-friendly translations of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), are easy-to-understand resources based on the same clinical practice guidelines used by health care professionals around the world to determine the best way to treat a patient with cancer. Each resource features unbiased expert guidance from the nation’s leading cancer centers designed to help people living with cancer talk with their physicians about the best treatment options for their disease.

NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide™ sheets—one-page summaries of key points in the patient guidelines—are written in plain language and include patient-friendly elements, such as questions to ask your doctor, a glossary of terms, and medical illustrations of anatomy, tests, and treatments. NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide™ sheets DO NOT replace the expertise and clinical judgment of the clinician.

"When I was diagnosed in April 2008 with stage IV inoperable and incurable stomach cancer, there were very few resources with little information for someone with this disease," said Debbie Zelman, President and Founder of Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer. "It gives me hope that the NCCN is offering guidelines to help patients better understand their diagnosis and make informed treatment decisions and we at Debbie’s Dream Foundation are thrilled to be a part of making the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Stomach Cancer a reality."

“An important part of our global mission is to empower families so that they know there is help available after diagnosis. There are many questions that need to be answered when someone is affected by this disease. We are proud to be a part of this collaborative effort, and believe that the patient guidelines for stomach cancer will be an invaluable resource for patients, families, and caregivers worldwide,” said Jonathan Florin, Executive Director, No Stomach For Cancer.

NCCN currently offers NCCN Guidelines for Patients for the following: Breast, Colon, Esophageal, Kidney, Non-Small Cell Lung, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate, and Stomach Cancers; Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults; Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia; Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia; Hodgkin Lymphoma; Lung Cancer Screening; Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma; Melanoma; Multiple Myeloma; Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas; and Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide™ sheet for Stomach Cancer are available to download for free at NCCN.org/patients.

[1]"Cancer Facts & Figures 2016." American Cancer Society. Web. 8 Sept. 2016. [2]"GLOBOCAN 2012: Estimated Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide in 2012." Fact Sheets by Cancer. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

###About NCCN Foundation®NCCN Foundation® was founded by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) to empower people with cancer and advance oncology innovation. NCCN Foundation supports people with cancer and their caregivers at every step of their treatment journey 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. NCCN Foundation is also committed to advancing cancer treatment by funding the nation’s promising young investigators at the forefront of cancer research, initiating momentum in their careers and furthering the betterment of patients through their groundbreaking innovations. For more information about NCCN Foundation, visit NCCNFoundation.org.

About Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach CancerDebbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer (DDF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about stomach cancer, advancing funding for research, and providing education and support internationally to patients, families, and caregivers. Debbie’s Dream Foundation seeks as its ultimate goal to make the cure for stomach cancer a reality.

DDF was founded in 2009 by Debbie Zelman after she was diagnosed with stage IV incurable stomach cancer in 2008 and given only weeks to live. DDF now has chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and Germany and a Medical Advisory Board of world renowned doctors. Considered a “Super Survivor,” Debbie is still receiving chemotherapy eight and a half years later and is thrilled to be able to watch her three children grow up. To learn more about DDF, please visit us at www.DebbiesDream.org.

About No Stomach For CancerNo Stomach For Cancer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to support research and unite the caring power of people worldwide affected by stomach cancer. NSFC advances awareness and education about stomach cancer, including Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC), provides a support network for affected families, and funds important research for screening, early detection, treatment, and prevention of stomach cancer. Headquartered in Madison Wisconsin, and serving individuals across the globe, No Stomach For Cancer is a worldwide thought leader in stomach cancer awareness and education. For more information about No Stomach For Cancer, or to support their global mission, please visit www.NoStomachforCancer.org.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer NetworkThe National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 27 of the world’s leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news.