As China’s cancer burden continues to grow, clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are crucial to standardizing cancer diagnosis and treatment. The development of oncology CPGs in China started relatively late, evolving from initial consensus-based in the early stage to adapting international guidelines and more recently toward independent development. This transition has resulted in notable gains in both the quantity and quality of guidelines. However, significant challenges persist. In guideline development, coordination among remains limited, methodological standardization is insufficient, mechanisms for updating and revising guidelines are incomplete, and conflict of interest management needs improvement. In dissemination, reliance on traditional channels limits access for primary care providers, with domestic guidelines generally not widely recognized. In implementation, low adherence to guidelines leads to issues like over-treatment and insufficient standardization of clinical practice. These challenges largely stem from the absence of top-level coordination and management mechanisms in guideline development, dissemination strategies that are misaligned with user needs, and a lack of multidimensional support and regulatory oversight during implementation.
To address these issues, efforts should focus on four areas: establishing a coordination mechanism centered on authoritative entities and a standardized guideline repository at the national level; promoting research on local evidence to enhance guideline adaptability by strengthening primary-level alignment; expanding diversified freely accessible dissemination channels alongside tiered and targeted training; and improving the implementation support system. Collectively, these measures can enhance both the quality and the practical effectiveness of China’s oncology CPGs.
