What to Know: ASCO's Guidelines

What to Know: ASCO's Guidelines are easy-to-read summaries based on ASCO Clinical Practice Guidelines that offer a patient-oriented view of the guidelines: providing background information, discussing the recommendations, explaining what those recommendations mean for patients, and providing a list of questions patients can ask their doctors for more information.  The date on each guideline is when ASCO last published an update in response to new or revised scientific evidence. Each guideline listed here is considered the best available information on this topic to date.

All guides are available in text or in PDF format.

Selected What to Know guides have been translated into Spanish and are available in Cancer.Net's En Espanol section.

Watch a patient education video led by Dr. Mark Kris explaining treatment guidelines.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Preventing Vomiting Caused by Cancer Treatment
September 26, 2011

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) developed evidence-based recommendations on the use of antiemetics (drugs that prevent vomiting). These guidelines were updated in 2011 because the latest research showed better prevention of vomiting with new combinations of medications and some additional medications became available. This guide for patients receiving any type of chemotherapy or radiation therapy is based on these updated ASCO recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Chemotherapy for Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
September 6, 2011

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) developed evidence-based recommendations on the treatment of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. This guide for patients contains several recommendations, one of which was updated in September 2011.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Tests to Help Choose Chemotherapy
July 25, 2011

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) developed evidence-based recommendations on the usefulness of laboratory tests (called assays) to find out if a cancer might be resistant or sensitive to a specific chemotherapy treatment before it is offered to a patient. In 2011, this guideline was reviewed due to new research; this research continued to support the 2004 recommendations. This guide for patients is based on ASCO’s most recent recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Bone-Modifying Drugs for Breast Cancer
February 22, 2011

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) developed evidence-based recommendations for using drugs, called bone-modifying drugs, for advanced breast cancer that has spread to the bone to help prevent bone-related problems. In 2011, this guideline was updated based on results from clinical trials of these drugs, including new information about a possible condition experienced by some people taking bone-modifying drugs. It also includes a new drug, denosumab (Xgeva), which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This guide for patients is based on ASCO’s most recent recommendations.

What to Know: The ASCO and ASH Guideline on Epoetin and Darbepoetin Treatment for Adults With Cancer
October 25, 2010

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) developed evidence-based recommendations about the use of epoetin (Epogen, Procrit) or darbepoetin (Aranesp) for chemotherapy-related anemia. In 2010, this guideline was updated to reflect results of recent clinical studies and a new analysis of combined data on the use of these drugs. It also summarizes the changes to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) approved prescribing recommendations. This guide for patients is based on the most recent ASCO and ASH recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Hormonal Therapy for Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer
July 12, 2010

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) developed evidence-based recommendations for treatment with hormonal therapy for early-stage breast cancer. In 2002, ASCO developed a clinical practice guideline about the use of aromatase inhibitors for early-stage breast cancer. Since then, this guideline was updated several times based on clinical trials that included aromatase inhibitors for early-stage breast cancer. In 2010, this guideline was further updated to provide guidance on the use of tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and aromatase inhibitors. This guide for patients is based on the most recent ASCO recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Tumor Markers for Testicular Cancer and Extragonadal Germ Cell Tumors in Teenage Boys and Men
June 7, 2010

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop evidence-based recommendations for testing blood levels of tumor markers for germ cell tumors. The tumor markers recommended in this guide are based on the results of clinical trials of patients with germ cell tumors.

What to Know: The ASCO and CAP Guideline on Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Testing for Breast Cancer
April 19, 2010

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) developed evidence-based recommendations to improve the accuracy of testing for estrogen and progesterone receptors for breast cancer. This guide for patients is based on ASCO’s and CAP’s recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Drugs to Lower Breast Cancer Risk
May 26, 2009

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. In 2002, ASCO updated a clinical practice guideline from 1999 on the use of drugs to help lower the risk of breast cancer. This guideline was expanded again in 2009 to update the recommendations for the drug raloxifene (Evista) as a way to lower the risk of breast cancer for some women. This guide for patients is based on these updated ASCO recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO and AUA's Guideline on 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer Prevention
February 24, 2009

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. ASCO and the American Urological Association (AUA) together developed recommendations for the use of 5-ARIs to help lower the risk of prostate cancer in men. This guide for patients is based on their recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Preventing and Treating Blood Clots
October 29, 2007

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. ASCO developed a clinical practice guideline about preventing and treating blood clots for people with cancer. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Adjuvant Treatment for Lung Cancer
October 22, 2007

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. ASCO and Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) together developed recommendations for treatment after surgery for non-small cell lung cancer. This patient guide is based on their recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Tumor Markers for Breast Cancer
October 22, 2007

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. In 2001, ASCO published a clinical practice guideline about tumor markers for breast and colorectal cancers. The scope of this guideline was expanded and updated in 2007 and recently updated in 2009. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations and focuses specifically on breast cancer.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Bisphosphonates for Multiple Myeloma
May 21, 2007

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. In 2002, ASCO published a clinical practice guideline about bisphosphonate treatment for multiple myeloma. The scope of this guideline was expanded and updated in 2007. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Hormone Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer
April 2, 2007

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, ASCO asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. In 2004, ASCO published a clinical practice guideline about hormone therapy for advanced prostate cancer. This guideline was updated in 2007 to reflect developments in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on HER2 Testing for Breast Cancer
December 11, 2006

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. ASCO and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) issued a joint clinical practice guideline about human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) testing for breast cancer. This patient guide is based on these recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Tumor Markers for Gastrointestinal Cancers
October 23, 2006

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, ASCO asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. ASCO recently updated a clinical practice guideline about the use of tumor markers in gastrointestinal cancers. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Follow-Up Care for Breast Cancer
October 10, 2006

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, ASCO asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. ASCO recently updated a clinical practice guideline about follow-up care for breast cancer. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Preserving the Larynx During Cancer Treatment
July 3, 2006

To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, ASCO asks its medical experts to develop recommendations for specific areas of cancer care. ASCO recently issued a clinical practice guideline about larynx preservation. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations.

What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on White Blood Cell Growth Factors
May 8, 2006

ASCO recently updated a clinical practice guideline about the use of white blood cell growth factors. This patient guide is based on ASCO's recommendations.