Nisha Pandey

Health and Me

NCCN Issues First-Ever Guidelines For Cancer Caregivers

Caring for a <span><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/cancer">cancer</a></span> patient entails much more than offering emotional support. Family members and loved ones are often tasked with managing medical appointments, monitoring medications, making decisions, handling household responsibilities and navigating financial and legal concerns.

Recognising the challenges faced by these caregivers, the <span>National Comprehensive Cancer Network</span> (<span>NCCN</span>) has issued its first-ever guidelines for people caring for someone with cancer, which is titled <em>NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Caregiving for People with Cancer</em>.

"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," said Anthea A. Gray, PsyD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – <span>James Cancer Hospital</span> and Solove Research Institute, who participated in developing the guide.

"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," she added. "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."

<h2>What Do The New <span rel="noindex">NCCN Cancer Caregiver Guidelines</span> Include?</h2>

The guidelines cover five major areas of caregiving:

<a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/early-adulthood-obesity-linked-to-thyroid-ovarian-and-endometrial-cancers-study-of-6-3-million-article-156453678" data-type="tilCustomLink">Cancer</a> can affect the emotional well-being of both patients and their caregivers. The guide offers information on supporting a loved one through difficult emotions, uncertainty and the challenges that come with diagnosis and treatment.

Caregivers may be expected to help with treatment decisions, manage medications, coordinate medical appointments and perform certain nursing-related tasks at home.

The guide explains what caregivers may need to know, provides information about cancer and its treatment, and suggests questions they can ask healthcare professionals.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/after-olympian-ciara-mageeans-death-at-34-irish-health-authorities-are-being-urged-to-lower-screening-age-for-bowel-cancer-article-156457767" data-type="tilCustomLink">After Olympian Ciara Mageean’s Death At 34, Irish Health Authorities Are Being Urged To Lower Screening Age For Bowel Cancer</a>

Managing everyday activities can become difficult when a loved one is undergoing cancer treatment. The guidelines provide practical advice on handling household tasks and organising responsibilities alongside caregiving.

Cancer treatment can bring additional expenses and financial pressures. The guide addresses financial considerations that caregivers and families may encounter while supporting someone through treatment.

Caregivers may also need to navigate legal matters while helping a loved one manage their illness. The guidelines include information on legal concerns that may arise during the caregiving process.

The resource also explains common medical terms and concepts to help caregivers better understand a cancer diagnosis and treatment journey.

<h2><span rel="noindex">Cancer Caregivers</span> Need Care Too</h2>

The need for caregiver support is growing as more people take on responsibilities for loved ones living with cancer and other <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/ibs-is-not-just-a-gut-problem-lancet-review-explains-the-gut-brain-connection-article-156449476" data-type="tilCustomLink">chronic illnesses</a>.

According to the 2025 report Caregiving in the US, published by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 63 million Americans, or nearly one in four adults, provided ongoing care to someone in the previous year.

The NCCN guide also highlights the responsibilities caregivers often manage. At least 70% are balancing employment and other responsibilities, while 60% live separately from the person they care for.

Gray explained that more people are living longer with cancer, sometimes alongside other medical conditions. At the same time, younger people are being diagnosed with cancers, meaning some caregivers are also raising children and working full-time.

"Also, there's a rising number of younger people starting to get cancers that they might not have gotten in the past, and many of these younger people have families, and those caregivers are not only caregivers but maybe parents to young children. Maybe they're working full time," she said.

"So, the landscape of caregiving is changing, and the demands that caregivers once had are increasing."

She also pointed to the financial pressure families face as the cost of everyday expenses rises.

"The increased financial strain that puts on caregivers and families certainly doesn't help the burden that comes along, or can come along, with caregiving," Gray said.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/cancer-drug-price-cuts-new-analysis-reveals-159-out-of-643-brands-see-no-reduction-article-156447621" data-type="tilCustomLink">India Cancer Drug Price Cuts: New Analysis Reveals 159 Out Of 643 Brands See No Reduction</a>

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One of the important points in the new guidelines is their focus on the caregiver's own health.

Caregivers can experience physical exhaustion, emotional distress and financial strain while trying to meet the needs of someone undergoing cancer treatment. Their responsibilities may also leave them with limited time to attend to their own health.

The guide includes a recurring feature called "Caregiver's Corner", which offers self-care information and practical suggestions throughout the book. A separate chapter is dedicated entirely to the caregiver's well-being.

Patrick Delaney, executive director of the <span>NCCN Foundation</span>, said the resource recognises that caregivers also need reliable information to navigate their own journey.

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Caring for a cancer patient entails much more than offering emotional support. Family members and loved ones are often tasked with managing medical appointments, monitoring medications, making decisions, handling household responsibilities and navigating financial and legal concerns.Recognising the challenges faced by these caregivers, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has issued its first-ever guidelines for people caring for someone with cancer, which is titled NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Caregiving for People with Cancer."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," said Anthea A. Gray, PsyD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, who participated in developing the guide."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," she added. "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."What Do The New NCCN Cancer Caregiver Guidelines Include?The guidelines cover five major areas of caregiving:Emotional supportCancer can affect the emotional well-being of both patients and their caregivers. The guide offers information on supporting a loved one through difficult emotions, uncertainty and the challenges that come with diagnosis and treatment.Medical managementCaregivers may be expected to help with treatment decisions, manage medications, coordinate medical appointments and perform certain nursing-related tasks at home.The guide explains what caregivers may need to know, provides information about cancer and its treatment, and suggests questions they can ask healthcare professionals.Also read: After Olympian Ciara Mageean’s Death At 34, Irish Health Authorities Are Being Urged To Lower Screening Age For Bowel CancerHousehold responsibilitiesManaging everyday activities can become difficult when a loved one is undergoing cancer treatment. The guidelines provide practical advice on handling household tasks and organising responsibilities alongside caregiving.Financial concernsCancer treatment can bring additional expenses and financial pressures. The guide addresses financial considerations that caregivers and families may encounter while supporting someone through treatment.Legal concernsCaregivers may also need to navigate legal matters while helping a loved one manage their illness. The guidelines include information on legal concerns that may arise during the caregiving process.The resource also explains common medical terms and concepts to help caregivers better understand a cancer diagnosis and treatment journey.Cancer Caregivers Need Care Too The need for caregiver support is growing as more people take on responsibilities for loved ones living with cancer and other chronic illnesses.According to the 2025 report Caregiving in the US, published by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 63 million Americans, or nearly one in four adults, provided ongoing care to someone in the previous year.The NCCN guide also highlights the responsibilities caregivers often manage. At least 70% are balancing employment and other responsibilities, while 60% live separately from the person they care for.Gray explained that more people are living longer with cancer, sometimes alongside other medical conditions. At the same time, younger people are being diagnosed with cancers, meaning some caregivers are also raising children and working full-time."Also, there's a rising number of younger people starting to get cancers that they might not have gotten in the past, and many of these younger people have families, and those caregivers are not only caregivers but maybe parents to young children. Maybe they're working full time," she said."So, the landscape of caregiving is changing, and the demands that caregivers once had are increasing."She also pointed to the financial pressure families face as the cost of everyday expenses rises."The increased financial strain that puts on caregivers and families certainly doesn't help the burden that comes along, or can come along, with caregiving," Gray said.Also read: India Cancer Drug Price Cuts: New Analysis Reveals 159 Out Of 643 Brands See No ReductionCaregiver Self-Care Guidelines One of the important points in the new guidelines is their focus on the caregiver's own health.Caregivers can experience physical exhaustion, emotional distress and financial strain while trying to meet the needs of someone undergoing cancer treatment. Their responsibilities may also leave them with limited time to attend to their own health.The guide includes a recurring feature called "Caregiver's Corner", which offers self-care information and practical suggestions throughout the book. A separate chapter is dedicated entirely to the caregiver's well-being.Patrick Delaney, executive director of the NCCN Foundation, said the resource recognises that caregivers also need reliable information to navigate their own journey.

nccn issues first-ever guidelines for cancer caregivers

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