NCCN issues new guidelines for three types of cancers

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has updated its guidelines for three diseases: multiple myeloma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and central nervous system cancers. In the case of multiple myeloma, NCCN now suggests the use of bortezomib (Velcade, Millennium Pharmaceuticals) in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil, Ortho Biotech) as a category 1 recommendation for refractory patients with certain conditions such as progressive disease following stem cell transplant. For NSCLC, the new NCCN guidelines provide additional cisplatin- and carboplatin-based regimens for postoperative patients. The guidelines also state that erlotinib (Tarceva, Genentech) can be used with or without chemotherapy for patients with advanced cancer who have never smoked and whose tumors have a known active epidermal growth factor receptor mutation. Finally for central nervous system cancers, the new guidelines provide radiation therapy dosing and new detailed recommendations for chemotherapy and brain imaging. All three sets of guidelines can be obtained free of charge at