[Development of cancer treatment practice guidelines in Japan: advantages and disadvantages]

The development of clinical practice guidelines for the systematic treatment of cancer is being promoted as a way to assist clinicians and patients. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of developing clinical practice guidelines for both clinicians and patients are discussed. Physicians may regard guidelines to be unrealistic, and some may even consider guidelines to be a challenge to their autonomy. However, the advantages of guidelines for the patients and clinicians exceed any disadvantages. The development of guidelines should therefore be promoted, although with consideration of both the many advantages and disadvantages for clinicians and patients.