NCCN launches free patient guide to help caregivers support loved ones with cancer

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has published its first-ever patient guideline devoted entirely to the people who care for those with cancer. The new resource, NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Caregiving for People with Cancer, was released on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, and is available free of charge at NCCN.org/patients or through the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App, with funding provided by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation (NCCNF).

The book is designed as a practical how-to for anyone in a position of supporting a loved one with cancer. According to NCCN, that group includes roughly a quarter of all Americans, with even higher numbers around the world. The guide offers concrete tips for handling a wide range of caregiving responsibilities, including emotional support, finances, household tasks, legal concerns, and medical management, the latter covering help with decision-making as well as providing medication or other nursing duties.

One of the guide’s central messages is that caregivers themselves need attention and support. The new patient guideline points out that at least 70 percent of caregivers are also balancing jobs and other responsibilities, and that 60 percent live in a separate home from the person they are caring for. To address that reality, the book includes “Caregiver’s Corner” features throughout, highlighting important tips for self-care, along with a specific chapter dedicated entirely to the caregiver’s own wellbeing.

“When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, naturally, most people want to show up for them however they can. But pretty quickly, many realize it’s not just about cancer. They’re also juggling everything else in their lives,” explained Anthea A. Gray, PsyD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. “In moments when things feel scary or uncertain—or when everything starts to feel too much—having trusted, easy-to-find information matters a lot. That is why resources like the NCCN Guidelines for Patients are so helpful. They offer reputable information together in one place, so caregivers can better understand what to expect, make more informed decisions, and support their loved ones with more confidence.”

The guide also aims to make the medical side of cancer care more navigable. It includes comprehensive information on what cancer is and what to expect during treatment, features explanations for complicated medical terms and concepts, and suggests questions to ask the doctor. The online version adds links to helpful websites, organizations, and mobile apps, so that caregivers can follow up on the topics that matter most to their situation.

Patrick Delaney, Executive Director of the NCCNF, said the creation of the resource recognizes that care partners should have evidence-based information to guide their own journey. He noted that it expands on the foundation’s history of funding books based on the NCCN Guidelines intended for clinicians. “As more people are diagnosed with cancer every day, more loved ones are stepping into support roles, often for the first time. We wanted to meet this growing need by providing access to a free, dedicated resource specifically for caregivers,” Delaney said.

The new book joins a library of more than 75 different NCCN patient guidelines covering nearly every type of cancer, as well as prevention, screening, and supportive care. Each of these guidelines is updated at least annually to keep up with the fast pace of progress. They are all available in English, and many have been translated into Spanish, with some books translated into additional languages. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients have won numerous awards every year, including several recent National Health Information Awards, an Annual Communicator Award of Distinction, and a ClearMark Award from the Center for Plain Language, honors that recognize them as high-quality, easy-to-understand, patient-centered and trustworthy, according to independent medical experts.

Personal experience shaped the push for the new guide. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my background as a clinician and researcher led me to look for credible, evidence-based information. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients gave me a way to understand the evidence, ask better questions, and participate meaningfully in decisions about my own care,” said Heather Kopecky, PhD, MBA, PCC, a member of the NCCN Foundation Board of Directors. “I have experienced cancer as a nurse, a patient, and alongside people I love. In each of those roles, I have seen how powerful it is when people have access to clear, trustworthy information. Knowledge didn’t take away the fear, but it gave me the ability to understand my choices and have a voice in my care.”

Beyond the new book, NCCN offers free webinars for patients and caregivers on a variety of topics through NCCN.org/patients. Further events are planned: on December 3, 2026, NCCN will host a Patient Advocacy Summit on Advancing Family-Centered Cancer Care in the United States, where speakers will address caregiver education and training, government support and assistance, and other efforts to support patients and their loved ones. In November 2027, the NCCN Global Policy team will host a webinar on efforts to strengthen the support system for cancer caregivers worldwide. Together, these initiatives reflect the network’s broader effort to ensure that as more people face cancer, the loved ones who step into caregiving roles have a trusted, free, and easy-to-understand resource to guide them through it.

Subject of Research: A new free NCCN patient guideline providing caregiving guidance for supporters of people with cancer

Article Title: How to care for caregivers? NCCN debuts essential guide for supporting loved ones with cancer

Article References: How to care for caregivers? NCCN debuts essential guide for supporting loved ones with cancer. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

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Keywords: NCCN, caregivers, cancer care, patient guidelines, Caregiving for People with Cancer, NCCN Foundation, emotional support, medical management, self-care, cancer support, free resource, family-centered cancer care