NCCN Releases Its First Free Guide for Cancer Caregivers

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a nonprofit alliance of cancer centers whose treatment guidelines many U.S. oncologists follow, released its first patient guideline written specifically for caregivers on Oct. 27, 2026. The book, NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Caregiving for People with Cancer, is free and is meant for the spouses, partners, adult children, friends and others who help someone through cancer treatment.

NCCN already publishes more than 75 plain-language guides for patients, covering nearly every cancer type as well as supportive care, and each is updated at least once a year. This is the first one in that library centered on the person doing the caring rather than the person with the diagnosis.

What the Caregiver Guide Covers

According to NCCN, the guide offers practical tips on emotional support, finances, household tasks and legal concerns. It also covers medical tasks many caregivers take on without training, such as helping with treatment decisions, giving medications and handling other nursing-type duties at home.

For caregivers who are new to cancer, the guide explains what cancer is, what to expect during treatment and what common medical terms mean. It includes suggested questions to ask the care team, so caregivers can walk into appointments with a plan.

A recurring "Caregiver's Corner" feature offers self-care tips throughout the book, and a full chapter is devoted to the caregiver's own well-being. The online version links to websites, organizations and mobile apps that offer more help.

Why a Guide for Caregivers Matters

NCCN notes that about a quarter of Americans provide support to a loved one. At least 70% of caregivers also juggle jobs and other responsibilities, and 60% live in a separate home from the person they care for. That means many caregivers are coordinating care from a distance while working.

"Knowledge didn't take away the fear, but it gave me the ability to understand my choices and have a voice in my care," said Heather Kopecky, PhD, MBA, PCC, a member of the NCCN Foundation Board of Directors, in the announcement.

Anthea A. Gray, PsyD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, said in the release that trusted, easy-to-find information matters a great deal when things feel scary or uncertain, and that the guide puts reputable information in one place.

Caregiver strain is real and well documented. CURE has reported on why cancer caregivers need to watch for burnout, and the new guide's chapter on caregiver well-being is aimed squarely at that problem.

How to Get the Guide

The guide is free to read online at NCCN.org/patients and through the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer app. The NCCN Foundation, the organization's charitable arm, funded it. NCCN's patient guides are available in English, and many are translated into Spanish and some into other languages; the announcement did not say which languages this guide will be offered in.

NCCN also offers free webinars for patients and caregivers, and it is hosting a patient advocacy summit on family-centered cancer care, including caregiver education and training, on Dec. 3, 2026.

What's Still Unknown

The guide is new, so there is no information yet on how caregivers use it or whether it eases the stress of caregiving. It is also general by design. Caregivers for someone with a specific cancer will still want the NCCN patient guide for that cancer type, along with advice from the care team about that person's treatment plan.

What It Means for You

If you are helping someone through cancer, this guide gives you a free, trustworthy starting point for the parts of caregiving that rarely get explained, from managing medications to handling money and legal paperwork. If you are the person with cancer, consider sharing it with the people helping you; it can make it easier to talk about what kind of support you need. And if you are a caregiver who feels stretched thin, the guide's self-care chapter is a reminder that your health counts, too.

References

1. "How to Care for Caregivers? NCCN Debuts Essential Guide for Supporting Loved Ones with Cancer." National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Oct. 27, 2026.
2. "NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Caregiving for People with Cancer." National Comprehensive Cancer Network. 2026.

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