Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Matt Kalaycio Appointed Chair of Board of Directors for National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Dr. Christopher Lieu of the University of Colorado elected as incoming Vice-Chair for the alliance of leading cancer centers.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®)?a nonprofit devoted to patient care, research, and education?is announcing the election of Matt Kalaycio, MD, FACP, as Chair of the Board of Directors, with Christopher H. Lieu, MD, elected as Vice-Chair, succeeding Dr. Kalaycio in the position he has held since 2022.

"The exemplary leadership from our board of directors is invaluable as NCCN defines and advances high-quality, high-value, patient-centered cancer care around the world," said NCCN Chief Executive Officer Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, who took on the role in October of 2023. "Their steady guidance during a transitional time helps us maintain our highly trusted, continuously updated, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer care, which were accessed more than 15 million times in 2023 alone. I look forward to working even more closely with Matt and Chris and relying on the substantial expertise, caring, and leadership they bring to these positions."

Dr. Kalaycio is a leading expert in hematology and medical oncology who specializes in the treatment of leukemia, hematopoietic cell transplantation, and CAR T-Cell therapy. He is Vice-Chair of Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute and a professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

"NCCN is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients receive the latest evidence-based treatment options by not only informing healthcare providers of available treatments, but also offering education and support to the patients and their caregivers," said Dr. Kalaycio. "As I take on the role of Chair of the NCCN Board of Directors, I eagerly anticipate further advancing the organization's mission."

Dr. Lieu is an Associate Professor; Co-Director, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology; and Associate Director for Clinical Research for the University of Colorado Cancer Center. He focuses on gastrointestinal cancers, and his research focuses on drug development, including investigating novel strategies for treating and preventing colorectal cancer in young adults. Dr. Lieu is also a member of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) Panel for Neuroendocrine Tumors and serves on the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee.

"I am very honored to serve as the Vice-Chair of the NCCN Board of Directors," said Dr. Lieu. "The University of Colorado Cancer Center has been an NCCN Member Institution since 2013 and has been heavily involved in NCCN's mission to improve and facilitate quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care across the globe. I am thrilled to take on this role and am also looking forward to continuing to learn from, and interact with, the incredible leadership at NCCN."

The position of Board Chair was previously held by John W. Sweetenham, MD, FRCP, FACP, FASCO, Professor of Medicine and Associate Director for Clinical Affairs at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas.

"We are grateful for everything John has done over the years to improve the lives of people with cancer, both through his work with NCCN and throughout his illustrious career," said Dr. Denlinger. "He has been a beacon of stable, supportive governance. We will always appreciate the time and thoughtfulness he has shared with us."

NCCN Board of Directors Treasurer Patrick J. O'Brien, MBA, from Fox Chase Cancer Center, and Secretary Maria M. Gonzalez, MPH, BS, from Stanford Cancer Institute, will continue to serve in their current positions.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients^® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation^®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.

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SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network