NICE update guidelines for people with bowel cancer
Today the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published updated guidance for colorectal cancer.
The updated guidance aims to improve survival and the quality of life for adults with the disease in England and Wales. It’s used to inform healthcare professionals and organisations of the latest evidence to treat people with the disease, however it may also be useful for bowel cancer patients and their families and carers.
The guidance covers areas such as:
- health information provided for people with bowel cancer
- preventing bowel cancer in people with Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that increases the lifetime risk of developing the disease to as much as 80%
- treatment of early stage and advanced bowel cancer, and
- ongoing care and support for people with the disease.
We were part of the consultation process to update the guidance alongside the medical community, patient groups and other health organisations. It reflects the latest evidence from research and clinical studies, and the introduction of new approaches and treatments that have been developed since the last time the guidance was updated in 2014.
Dr Lisa Wilde, Director of Research and External Affairs at Bowel Cancer UK, says:
“The NICE guidance is an essential part of ensuring patients with bowel cancer have access to the best treatment and care. Today’s updated guidance reflects some significant advances that have been made over the past five years.
“It is pleasing to see that a number of the recommendations made by the charity have been included in the updated guidance, and we will continue to work with patients, clinicians and NICE to ensure that the guidance is adopted by hospitals across the country.”
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