Since its inception ACN has played a key role in the development and dissemination of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
Guidelines are available for melanoma, colorectal cancer, cancer genetics, prostate cancer, non-melanoma skin cancer, lymphoma and lung cancer. These are approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Recommendations for the pathology reporting of breast cancer are also available.
ACN working parties are currently developing guidelines for:
- locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer
- colonoscopy surveillance
ACN’s Guideline Implementation Steering Committee has produced a handbook in association with the National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) called Taking Action Locally: Eight Steps to Putting Cancer Guidelines Into Practice. Widely distributed, it provides support for clinicians and clinical managers implementing evidence-based guidelines as part of everyday practice.
ACN will continue to promote best practice in cancer management and plans to evaluate the uptake and impact of its guidelines.