European Scientists Mandate for Change

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http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/130652.php

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A coalition of European cancer specialists today called for major changes in the provision of emotional support for lung cancer patients. In conjunction with the International Psycho-Oncology Society, they issued a Mandate for Change, highlighting basic rights for patients in terms of their emotional wellbeing and quality of life.

Lung cancer is Europe's most common cancer killer, claiming almost 1,000 lives every day. [1] More than half of all lung cancer patients with advanced cancer experience anxiety and depression, [2] but one in three say they don't receive the emotional support they need to help them cope with this debilitating disease. [3]

"The emotional trauma of being diagnosed with lung cancer and going through treatment can be as potentially harmful for the patient as the disease itself," said Prof Hellmut Samonigg, Director of Oncology Division, University of Graz, Austria. "We need to create better emotional support systems to help lung cancer patients to manage their disease and improve the quality of their lives."

Cancer specialists from across Europe met in Berlin to hear the latest data and insights on the value of psycho-oncology in lung cancer care, to develop an action plan to gain the support and endorsement of medical societies across Europe, and to sign the Mandate for Change. The Mandate states that all lung cancer patients have the right to:

- Feel empowered through knowledge about the choices available to them following their diagnosis

- Have information and resources available to them that meet their specific needs, which they can refer to and absorb in their own time

- Have access to psycho-oncology care as part of their ongoing health management

- Safe and effective treatments that also contribute to improved quality of life.

The Mandate for Change forms part of a number of activities happening throughout November for Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and represents the next phase of the INSPIRE program. INSPIRE is a global initiative focused on helping lung cancer patients and their caregivers to better manage their disease and improve their quality of life. INSPIRE was launched in November 2007 and is funded by an educational grant from Roche.

Psycho-oncology is a growing discipline within the area of cancer care, focusing on the psychological, behavioral and social impact of cancer on patients and their caregivers.

About Psycho-oncology

Psycho-oncology is a growing discipline within the area of cancer care, focusing on the psychological, behavioral and social impact of cancer on patients and their caregivers. When the emotional distress of lung cancer is neglected, the patient's health and quality of life often deteriorates. Psycho-oncologists help patients and their caregivers to cope with their disease and to manage their overwhelming emotions that often accompany a cancer diagnosis and its treatment.

For more information about IPOS and how you can support its critical programs, visit http://www.ipos-society.org.

About IPOS

Since 1984, the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) has been committed to developing the science of psychosocial and behavioral oncology as it relates to improving the care of cancer patients and their families, as well as preventing cancer through healthy behaviors. IPOS is an individual membership society serving psycho-oncology professionals throughout the world and an umbrella organization serving national societies that represent over 5,000 research and clinical professionals in more than 50 countries. Psycho-oncology stakeholders are multidisciplinary and include physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, rehabilitation specialists, epidemiologists, social scientists and educators.

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(Medical News Today, Lung Cancer, Psychology/Psychiatry, Cancer/Oncology, Respiratory/Asthma, November 25, 2008)

Disclaimer:

The information contained in these articles may or may not be in agreement with my own opinions. They are not being posted with the intention of being medical advice of any kind.