NCCN Guidelines® Insights - Rectal Cancer, Version 3.2024

The determination of an optimal treatment plan for an individual patient with rectal cancer is a complex process. In addition to decisions relating to the intent of rectal cancer surgery (ie, curative or palliative), consideration must also be given to the likely functional results of treatment, including the probability of maintaining or restoring normal bowel function/anal continence and preserving genitourinary functions. Particularly for patients with distal rectal cancer, finding a balance between curative-intent therapy while having minimal impact on quality of life can be challenging. Furthermore, the risk of pelvic recurrence is higher in patients with rectal cancer compared with those with colon cancer, and locally recurrent rectal cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. Careful patient selection and the use of sequenced multimodality therapy following a multidisciplinary approach is recommended. These NCCN Guidelines Insights detail recent updates to the NCCN Guidelines for Rectal Cancer, including the addition of endoscopic submucosal dissection as an option for early-stage rectal cancer, updates to the total neoadjuvant therapy approach based on the results of recent clinical trials, and the addition of a “watch-and-wait” nonoperative management approach for clinical complete responders to neoadjuvant therapy.

Target Audience

This journal article is designed to meet the educational needs of oncologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals who manage patients with cancer.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Integrate into professional practice the updates to NCCN Guidelines for rectal cancer.
  • Describe the rationale behind the decision-making process for developing the NCCN Guidelines for rectal cancer.

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Additional information
Supporters: 

This activity is supported by educational grants from AstraZeneca; Bristol Myers Squibb; Janssen Biotech, Inc., administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC; and Seagen. This activity is supported by a medical education grant from Exelixis, Inc. This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AAPA Category 1 CME credit
  • 1.00 ACPE contact hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 ANCC contact hours
  • 1.00 Participation
Course opens: 
08/10/2024
Course expires: 
08/10/2025
Cost:
$0.00
Part of: 
Behind the Guidelines: Insights into the Standard of Care in Oncology 2024 (NCCN Guidelines® Insights 2024)

NCCN Continuing Education Disclosure Policy
It is the policy of NCCN that all planners, faculty, moderators, authors, reviewers and anyone involved in the planning and delivery of NCCN continuing education activities are expected to disclose ALL financial relationships they have had in the past 24 months with ineligible companies. The ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence require that individuals who refuse to provide this information will be disqualified from involvement in the planning and implementation of accredited continuing education presented by NCCN. NCCN identifies, mitigates and discloses to learners all relevant financial relationships.

In addition, all content has been reviewed to ensure education promotes safe, effective patient care and does not promote the products or services of an ineligible company. Content, including any presentation of therapeutic options, is fair, balanced, evidence-based, scientifically accurate, and free of commercial bias and marketing. 

Definitions  

Ineligible Company: An ineligible company is any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. 

Relevant Financial Relationships: Financial relationships of any dollar amount occurring within the past 24 months are defined as relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of an ineligible company. There is no minimum financial threshold. We ask for disclosure of ALL financial relationships with ineligible companies, regardless of the amount and regardless of the potential relevance of each relationship to the education.

Faculty Disclaimers  

All faculty for this continuing education activity are competent in the subject matter and qualified by experience, training, and/or preparation for the tasks and methods of delivery.

Faculty presentations may include discussion of off-label use. Faculty will disclose that the use in question is not currently approved by the FDA per the product labeling or marketing.

Individuals Who Provided Content Development and/or Authorship Assistance

The faculty listed below have no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Hisham Hussan, MD, Panel Member
Jennifer K. Maratt, MD, MS, Panel Member
Anna Tavakkoli, MD, MSc, Panel Member
Frankie Jones, Guidelines Layout Specialist, NCCN
Lisa Gurski, PhD, Senior Manager, Licensed Clinical Content, NCCN

The faculty listed below have the following relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose. All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

Al B. Benson III, MD, Panel Chair, has disclosed receiving grant/research support from AbbVie, Inc., Amgen Inc., Apexigen, Artemida Pharma, Cardiff Oncology, Elevar Therapeutics, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc., ITM Solucin, Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, LP, MedImmune Inc., Merck Sharpe & Dohme Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Rafael Pharmaceuticals, ST Pharm Co. Ltd., SynCore Biotechnology, and TYME Technologies Inc.; serving as a scientific advisor for AIM ImmunoTech, Array BioPharma Inc., Astellas Pharma US, Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Hutchmed, Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., Natera Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, SeaGen, Tempus, and TheraBionic; and receiving consulting fees from Aveo Oncology, Boston Scientific Corporation, Bristol Myers Squibb, GRAIL, GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, LP, Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., Nuvation Bio, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Samsung Bioepis, SeaGen, Taiho Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., and Xencor.
Alan P. Venook, MD, Panel Vice Chair, has disclosed serving as a scientific advisor for Amgen Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb, Exact Sciences, Exelixis Inc., GSK, Intera, and Pfizer Inc.
Yi-Jen Chen, MD, PhD, Panel Member, has disclosed receiving grant/research support from RefleXion and Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
Stacey A. Cohen, MD, Panel Member, has disclosed receiving consulting fees from Agenus, Delcath, Eisai Inc., GSK, Guardant, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Taiho Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.; and receiving grant/research support from Biomea, BioNTech, Natera, Pfizer Inc., and Tempus.
Smitha Krishnamurthi, MD, Panel Member, has disclosed receiving grant/research support from Agenus, Aravive, BioMed Valley, Bristol Myers Squibb,
Natera, and Pfizer Inc.; and serving as a scientific advisor for Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Midhun Malla, MD, MS, Panel Member, has disclosed receiving consulting fees from Exelixis Inc. and Natera Inc.
Leonard Saltz, MD, Panel Member, has disclosed serving as a scientific advisor for Genor Biopharma.

View all of the conflicts of interest for the NCCN Guidelines panel 

NCCN Staff Disclosures

None of the other planners for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

In support of improving patient care, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians
NCCN designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses
NCCN designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hour. 

Pharmacists
NCCN designates this knowledge-based continuing education activity for 1.0 contact hour (0.1 CEUs) of continuing education credit. UAN: JA4008196-0000-24-009-H01-P

Physician Assistants
NCCN has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credit. Approval is valid until August 10, 2025. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AAPA Category 1 CME credit
  • 1.00 ACPE contact hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 ANCC contact hours
  • 1.00 Participation

Price

Cost:
$0.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Required Hardware/software

To access this activity, users will need:

  • A device with an Internet connection
  • Adobe Reader or other PDF reader software for article and certificate viewing/printing