International Psycho-Oncology Society IPOS xChange

INTRODUCING PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE IN ONCOHEMATOLOGY IN RUSSIA – Contribution by Dr. Sergei Khrushchev

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 20:20:29 GMT

PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE IN ONCOHEMATOLOGY IN RUSSIA

General. Department of Psychiatry and Neurology in Hematology (DPNH (Chief Vybornykh D.E. MD, DMSc) and its Clinical Psychology Division (Director Khrushchev S.O. M.Sc)) conduct a wide range of psychosocial care, research and educational activities at the largest hematology hospital in Russian Federation (National Research Center for Hematology, Moscow). DPNH deliver psychosocial care for patients with wide range of hematological disorders (including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma) at all stages of disease course and treatment. In accordance with well-established standards, interdisciplinary team (physicians, psychiatrist, neurologist, clinical psychologist) conduct in thorough diagnosis and care of all relevant conditions and symptoms for patients and their relatives with special emphasis on individual rehabilitation plan development. During this process we analyze strengths and weaknesses of patient overall adaptation (somatic and psychiatric status, symptoms intensity and manifestations, psychosocial buffers and triggers etc.) to understand underlying causes and prescribe suitable therapy or/and interventions.

Research. DPNH research interests cover a wide range of practical and theoretical issues. DPNH research program core methodology is qualitative and quantitative analysis of specific and general factors affecting patients and their relatives during disease course and treatment. Currently DPNH focuses on: psychosocial factors, mediators and moderators of rehabilitation process (in the biopsychosocial model), psychosocial interventions effectiveness (in RCT studies), cognitive impairments after chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation (neurological, neurophysiological and neuropsychological aspects), psychological aspects of stigmatization process. DPNH also take part in development of the national standards of psychosocial care, psychosocial screening projects and design e-health systems. Several research projects are funded by federal grants (The Russian Foundation for Basic Research).

Principles. In order to improve quality of care and generate new knowledge DPNH collaborate with Lomonosov Moscow State University, Mental Health Research Center and oncology-hematology hospitals in Moscow, St.Petersburg and other Russian regions. Development and implementation of up-to date standards of psychosocial care and rehabilitation require intensive bilateral cooperation of highly specialized organizations (hospitals, healthcare policy and psychosocial institutions, universities etc.) with well-established program and outlined areas of responsibility. Continuous exchanges of experience and local thought-leaders who share core values provide fertile soil for growth of new quality of care standards. Seminars, lectures, printed and online materials play major role in informational and educational policy. Such measures help to explain physicians and patients how situation and circumstances can be changed for better quality of life and treatment. High level of awareness allows for dissemination of both general standards and projects of specific needs.

Congress. In order to support and catalyze process of implementation of psychosomatic and psychosocial care principles, DPNH organized psycho-hematology/psycho-oncology section at Russian International Hematological Congress (2018). Leading researchers and healthcare professionals were invited to make oral presentations and share best practices. Specialists in psychiatry, neurology, clinical psychology, oncology and hematology from top medical and educational organizations (Lomonosov Moscow State University, National Institute of Mental Health, National Research Center for Oncology etc.) shared their experience with hundreds of medical and healthcare professionals from many Russian regions and other countries. Thanks to congress our psychosomatic and psychosocial community discussed and designed some collaborative projects with other regional clinics and medical centers.

Future directions. National standards for psychosocial care, in general, entail networking and coordination of federal and regional hospitals to the adoption of up-to date care and educational practices and a common healthcare policy. National Society for Psychosomatics and Health Care Management could serve as a central organization to create administrative and institutional resources for development of up to date high standards of psychosocial care.

Interview with Phyllis Butow: Conquer Fear Study

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 20:19:54 GMT

1. Can you briefly introduce “Conquer Fear study”?

“ConquerFear is a face-to-face, individual intervention to help cancer survivors better manage their fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), based on the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model (S-REF). Delivered by psychologists and psychiatrists in 5 sessions, ConquerFear does not try to eliminate FCR, which is a normal, not irrational fear, but rather to help patients pay less attention to FCR and live life according to their values and goals. ConquerFear was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial, and shown to be more effective than an active, relaxation control intervention (Taking it Easy) in reducing fear of cancer recurrence immediately post the intervention, and at 6 months follow-up. The study was published in JCO.*”:

Butow P, Turner J, Gilchrist J et al. Randomized Trial of ConquerFear: A Novel, Theoretically Based Psychosocial Intervention for Fear of Cancer Recurrence. J Clin Oncol. 2017; 35(36):4066-4077. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2017.73.1257.

2.How common is fear of cancer recurrence among cancer survivors? Is this only matter for long-term survivors? Are there more vulnerable patients (cancer type, age, family history, mental health)? How about patients diagnosed at advanced stage?

“Fear of cancer recurrence is understandably very common. A systematic review by Sebastien Samard showed that about 70% of cancer survivors have mild FCR, about 50% have moderate FCR and about 7-10% have severe FCR, which might be considered a clinical problem requiring intervention. Patients have reported that FCR began as soon as they were diagnosed, but peaks at the time of treatment completion. Most studies have shown that FCR is stable, and does not reduce over time, although very long-term survivors have reported a reduction in FCR. Vulnerability factors include being younger, having symptoms/side-effects (readily interpreted as signs of cancer recurrence), and having a pre-existing anxiety disorder. There is inconsistent evidence that a worse prognosis and more extensive treatment may predict greater FCR, however subjective risk perception is a stronger predictor than objective risk. Patients with advanced disease experience fear of cancer progression (which falls under the general definition of FCR).”

“There are many measures of FCR. The most commonly used questionnaire is the 42-item Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (FCRI), developed by Simard and colleagues. The FCRI offers a rich clinical insight into FCR, and has a 9-item short form which can be used to measure severity. This measure is probably optimally used by psychologists or other staff offering an intervention to patients, to enable a full clinical understanding of the problem. A number of shorter screening measures have been developed; for example, Gerry Humphris has developed 4- and 7-item screening measures of FCR, which may be more useful as a regular screening tool in the clinic. The international IPOS Special Interest Group in FCR (FoRWaRDS) is currently developing criteria for a clinical diagnosis of FCR, and this may trigger the need for a new questionnaire that reflects these clinical characteristics. FCR can fluctuate, with peaks common when patients are coming for scans or follow-up, when a family member or friend develops cancer, or when cancer is featured in the media. Therefore, it is probably best to measure FCR when the patient is not facing a scan or test. The optimal frequency of measurement may depend on the study question or clinical purpose.”

“ConquerFear has a number of components, including values clarification, attention training, detached mindfulness, meta-cognitive therapy and behavioural contracting for follow-up. Our mediation and moderation analysis showed that changing meta-cognitive beliefs about worry (over-valuing worry as a method to ensure vigilance for signs of cancer recurrence, or fearing worry will increase the likelihood of cancer recurrence) was the component most strongly associated with improved FCR. However, this is probably the most complex component for health professionals untrained in cognitive-behavioural therapy or with little time. I believe that doctors and nurses can help a lot by doing a quick screen for FCR, normalising FCR, ensuring patients have the information they want about prognosis and the most likely signs of cancer recurrence, providing patients with links to existing websites about FCR and making referrals to psychologists if the patient has high or clinical FCR. We are currently evaluating a short ten-minute intervention along these lines, delivered by oncologists at the first follow-up appointment, to see if it can prevent or reduce FCR.”

5.What do you think are the gaps and barriers/challenges for managing FCR in current cancer care system? How should try to resolve them?

“Most services do not screen for FCR, or ask patients at follow-up whether they are experiencing FCR, and therefore most FCR goes undetected. As use of patient reported outcomes become more the norm, a few short screening items for FCR, such as Gerry Humphris’ measure, should be included. Doctors and nurses can play an important role along the lines suggested above, to potentially prevent or reduce FCR, and this will likely take only a few minutes. Normalising FCR and responding empathically when patients raise these fears, will help patients feel comfortable discussing FCR and asking for help if needed.”

6.What is your future plan regarding research and practice at FCR?

“There are lots of exciting developments with ConquerFear. Currently colleagues, in collaboration with the original ConquerFear team, are developing an online form of ConquerFear (Ben Smith, Australia), a group version (Bobby Zachariae in Denmark), a version for nurse-delivery (Anne Reb, USA, as well as colleagues in South Korea) and a version for advanced cancer patients (Louise Sharpe in Australia). The FoRWaRDS IPOS special interest group in FCR is conducting a number of important studies to establish clinical criteria for FCR, and to review the literature in different areas. Interventions for partners is an important area of development also.”

7.Any message to cancer survivors experiencing FCR?

“Anyone diagnosed with cancer is likely to worry about their cancer coming back, or recurring, particularly when a scan or follow-up is due. This sort of normal worry is only a problem if it starts to interfere with your life and cause you ongoing distress. If that happens to you, as it does for about one in ten cancer survivors, it is definitely worth telling your oncologist or GP, because there is help available.”

Preview of IPOS 2018 Hong Kong

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 20:18:49 GMT

This was based on interview with Dr.Wendy Lam, Conference Co-Chair of IPOS 2018

Meaning of having IPOS at Hong Kong: The coming World Congress is a very special meeting. The last IPOS congress held in Asia was 1993 at Kobe, Japan. The development of psycho-oncology grew tremendously in the past two decades, with evidence of the establishment of local psycho-oncology societies in various countries, including Mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and India.

Brief introduction of the program of IPOS 2018: The coming congress will offer a platform for psycho-oncologists particularly those from Asia to get together to share their achievements, as well as, challenges encountered in improving cancer care. The congress theme focuses on integrating and consolidating strategies to optimize psychosocial supportive care services in cancer care from prevention through curative to palliative care. The plenary sessions cover timely topics in research and practice.

MUST see and experience at Hong Kong: For those who are visiting Hong Kong for the first time, it is Asia’s world city, famous for its skyline and harbor views, offering outstanding cultural diversity, vibrant nightlife and cosmopolitan lifestyle and is truly one of the great cities of the world. Furthermore, Hong Kong has many amazing hiking destinations, which are easily accessible by public transportation.

Inside Awareness: CDC Gynecological Cancer Campaign

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:18:12 GMT

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new campaign in English and Spanish. The Inside Knowledge campaign raises awareness of the five main types of gynecologic cancer: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. Inside Knowledge encourages women to pay attention to their bodies, so they can recognize any warning signs and seek medical care.

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/knowledge/

Home Remedies for Anxiety

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:15:52 GMT

Several herbal remedies have been studied as a treatment for anxiety, but more research is needed to understand the risks and benefits. In a recent Mayo Clinic’s post, the author discusses what we know and don't know about herbal treatments for anxiety.

Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/expert-answers/herbal-treatment-for-anxiety/faq-20057945

SIOG 2018 Annual Conference

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:15:06 GMT

16.11.2018 - 18.11.2018 Amsterdam, Netherland

SIOG Annual Conference is the leading conference for health professionals involved in the treatment of older cancer patients and provides a unique platform for oncologists, researchers, clinical practitioners, geriatricians, radiologists, psychologists, nutritionists, nurses and other healthcare professionals as well as senior cancer survivor advocates who wish to learn, interact and share results and best practice.

Link: http://siog.org/content/siog-2018-annual-conference-0

Lonnie is Going to Lose his Tongue

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:11:56 GMT

Lonnie Blanchard is a tongue cancer patient. He decided to have a surgery, and so to lose the biggest part of his tongue. He knew he was going not to be able to talk again. The BBC's Olivia Lace-Evans spent a week with Lonnie's family before his surgery. Despite it is often considered an uncommon cancer, the tongue cancer may deeply affect the patients’ lives. Here you can see the story of Lonnie and his long, touching wait for the surgery.

Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-43786713/in-six-days-i-ll-lose-my-voice-forever

ESMO 2018 Congress

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:11:11 GMT

19.10. 2018 - 23.10-.018 Munich, Germany

“Securing access to optimal cancer care”, the ESMO 2018 Congress will take place in Munich, Germany. A multi-professional platform for oncology education and exchange, and for immense international visibility for scientific research, this year the Congress also features a dedicated nursing track through a collaboration with the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS).

Link: http://www.esmo.org/Conferences/ESMO-2018-Congress

MASSC/ISO 2018 Annual Meeting

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:10:17 GMT

28.06.2018 - 30.06.2018 Vienna, Austria

Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and the International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) meeting is unique in taking a multidisciplinary approach to topics in supportive cancer care. 2018 meeting will feature plenary sessions on cannabinoids for symptom management and cancer therapy, post-chemotherapy cognitive Impairment, and cardiac toxicities secondary to cancer therapies.

Link: https://masccmeeting.org/2018/Pages/default.aspx#.Wt9f2Wf3Mkm

ESMO Preceptorship on Immuno-Oncology 2018

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:09:32 GMT

04.05.2018 - 05.05.2018 Lugano, Switzerland

Comprising plenary lectures by a multidisciplinary faculty of international experts and case-based sessions, ESMO Preceptorship courses offer an enriched learning experience, thanks to their small size and emphasis on interaction with fellow participants and faculty.

Link: https://www.eso.net/en/education/future%2devents/esmo-preceptorship-on-immuno-oncology-2018/3-3322-0-

20th International Psycho-Oncology Society World Congress of Psycho-Oncology

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:08:45 GMT

29.10.2018 - 02.11.2018 Hong Kong, China

Welcome Letter from the Chairs

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are delighted to welcome you to Hong Kong and the 20th International Psycho-Oncology Society World Congress of Psycho-Oncology. The School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong is partnering with the Hong Kong Cancer Fund to host this World Congress which will be a very special meeting for a number of reasons. The second IPOS World Congress was held in Kobe, Japan 24 years ago in 1994, and this is the first time since that the IPOS World Congress returns to Asia. A lot has changed over the last quarter century and Asia is now one of the leading economic and tourist destinations in the world. IPOS will be 26 years old, so the 20th World Congress is something to celebrate. This meeting is also especially significant because 2018 will see the 90th birthday of Professor Jimmie Holland, the founder of IPOS and “Mother” of psycho-oncology. We hope you will join us in Hong Kong to celebrate these important milestones and anniversaries.

Hong Kong is one of the most exciting cities in the world, and the 20th World Congress will showcase the best cutting edge work in psycho-oncology. With a conference theme of “Optimizing psychosocial supportive services in cancer care” and psychosocial academy workshops addressing timely issues in research and practice, the upcoming World Congress represents a huge opportunity for practitioners and researchers in the region to share their experiences, work and research with psycho-oncology practitioners from across the globe. In addition to this great learning and networking opportunity, we are focused on the ultimate purpose of this work: to improve the lives of people facing cancer around the world.

So please come to Hong Kong for what we promise will be an unforgettable experience. We encourage you to bring your families who will also have a wonderful time enjoying the city. We look forward to seeing you all in October, 2018!

Wandy Lam & Sally Lo

Link: http://www.ipos2018.com/index.html

In Memoriam: Andrea Farkas Patenaude, PhD Lori Wiener & Claire Wakefield

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:07:52 GMT

This is an excerpt from: Wiener L. In Memoriam: Andrea Farkas Patenaude, PhD. Psycho‐Oncology. 2018;27(4):1357–1358.

Dr. Andrea Farkas Patenaude, a visionary and internationally renowned clinician and thoughtful clinical researcher had a significant impact on the field of psycho-oncology. Dr. Patenaude’s early career focused on children with cancer undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Her excellent clinical skills and leadership abilities were well known and she was the Director of the Jimmie Fund Clinic of the DFCI Pediatric Psychology Program from 2000-2011, providing psychosocial services to children with cancer, their parents, siblings and survivors of pediatric cancer. From 2011 until her retirement, Dr. Patenaude was the Director of Psychology Research and Clinical Service, in the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention where she developed a unique hereditary cancer psychosocial clinic to support and treat members of these high-risk families.

She published two groundbreaking books, “Genetic Testing for Cancer: Psychological Approaches to Helping Patients and Families,” in 2005, and "Prophylactic Mastectomy: Insights from Women Who Chose to Reduce Their Risk," in 2012. Throughout her career, Dr. Patenaude lectured on every continent except Antarctica, authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles and numerous book chapters, and edited two editions of the Quick Reference for Pediatric Oncology Clinicians: The Psychiatric and Psychological Dimensions of Cancer Symptom Management. Amongst many other leadership roles, Dr. Patenaude co-chaired the Pediatrics Special Interest Group for the International Psychosocial Oncology Society (IPOS) and was a member of the Scientific Committee of the International Society for Pediatric Oncology (SIOP). She coordinated collaborative efforts between IPOS and SIOP to shine a light on human rights abuses involving the treatment of cancer in children globally, and particularly in Africa. While promoting psychosocial research, Dr. Patenaude was a clinician at heart. She supported PROs but emphasized the importance of the clinical interview. Her leadership and original contributions to the field of psychosocial oncology was complemented by her tremendous warmth, quiet manner, and ability to address pertinent questions, that went right to the heart of the issue, and that others found uncomfortable to explore.

It is no surprise that Dr. Patenaude was the recipient of many awards including the Noemi Fisman Award for Lifetime Clinical Excellence from the International Psycho-Oncology Society in 2013, a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association (1999), the Rosalee G. Weiss Award from the American Psychological Foundation (1999) and the 50th Anniversary Scholars in Medicine Award from Harvard Medical School (2000). Andrea Farkas Patenaude retired from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on August 31, 2017 after more than 40 years of service to the cancer care community. She died peacefully on January 29th, 2018 surrounded by her family. We will miss her warm presence, colorful clothes, generous spirit, and contagious smile. Her contributions to the field of Psycho-Oncology will live on for generations to come.

Jimmie C. Holland, MD, Founder of the Field of Psycho-oncology William Breitbart

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:07:03 GMT

Jimmie C Holland, MD, internationally recognized as the founder of the field of Psycho-oncology and the Founding President of the International Psycho-oncology Society (IPOS), died suddenly on December 24, 2017, at the age of 89. Dr. Holland, who was affectionately known by her first name “Jimmie”, had a profound global influence on cancer care and research; highlighting the critical importance of “whole person cancer care”, through her groundbreaking work on quality of life, screening for distress, and the psychological, social and emotional well being of cancer patients at all stages of diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.

Over a 40 year career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Jimmie created and nurtured the field of Psycho-oncology, established its clinical practice, advanced its clinical research agenda, and through her pioneering efforts, launched the careers of the leaders of a national and worldwide field who mourn her passing and continue to work in what has become a shared mission to emphasize “Care” in cancer care. IPOS was the brainchild of Dr Holland’s, and with the commitment of fellow international psycho-oncology pioneers, she helped found IPOS and guided its growth into the vibrant international movement it embodies today.

Dr. Holland was the Attending Psychiatrist and Wayne E. Chapman Chair at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Professor of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York. In 1977, Jimmie was appointed Chief of the Psychiatry Service in the Department of Neurology at MSK, by Jerome Posner, MD, then Chairman of Neurology at MSK. The Psychiatry Service at MSK was the first such clinical, research and training Service established in any cancer center in the world. In 1996, Dr. Holland was named the inaugural Chairwoman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; again the first such department created in any cancer center in the U.S. and the world. Dr. Holland founded the International Psycho-oncology Society (IPOS) in 1984 (and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society in 1986) . Over 25 years ago, Jimmie created and co-edited, the international journal Psycho-Oncology. Dr. Holland edited the first major textbooks of Psycho-oncology and recently edited the 3rd edition of the textbook “Psycho-oncology” in 2015. Jimmie co- wrote two well received books for the public: “The Human Side of Cancer”, and “Lighter as We Go: Virtues, Character Strengths, and Aging”; the latter reflecting her interests in Geriatric Oncology as she approached her 90th birthday.

Dr. Holland has received many awards recognizing her achievements over the course of her career. There are too many to list , however her awards include: The Medal of Honor for Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society, The Clinical Research Award from the American Association of Community Cancer Centers, The American Association for Cancer Research Joseph H Burchenal Clinical Research Award, and The Marie Curie Award from the Government of France. In recent years Dr. Holland committing her attention and energies to bring Psycho-oncology to Africa through her work with the African Organization for Cancer Research & Training in Cancer ( AORTIC). Jimmie was seeing patients up until 2 days before her death. IPOS has lost its founder, its guiding light, a pioneer, a remarkable woman and a once in a generation influencer. Her death is a profound loss for all of us in international psycho- oncology. We invite you to leave comments, thoughts and remembrances of Jimmie Holland in this IPOS condolence book.

Addressing Pertinent Questions: Andrea Patenaude’s Point of View

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:06:12 GMT

1) “I don't want to take chances.”: A qualitative exploration of surgical decision making in young breast cancer survivors.

Andrea Patenaude’s team tries to understand why young women with unilateral breast cancer are increasingly choosing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), despite its limited medical benefit for most women. In the paper published on Psycho-oncology they elicit a few main themes in patients’ interviews, and describe how often women were concerned about a future breast event, despite the low risk.

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pon.4683

2) Maternal perceptions of BRCA genetic counseling communication processes about disclosing cancer risk information to children and adult relatives.

Andrea Patenaude and her colleagues report the validity of a novel measure aimed to assess the communication patterns in BRCA patients’ families: the Genetic Counseling Communication Process. When the assessment includes family communication to potentially at‐risk relatives, authors highlight that most but not all sessions addressed this topic. Cancer family history, child age, and maternal attitudes are important co‐factors in these patient‐provider communication exchanges.

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pon.4733

Emphasizing Care in Cancer Care: Jimmie Holland’s Point of View

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:05:05 GMT

1) Physical Symptom Burden and Its Association With Distress, Anxiety, and Depression in Breast Cancer Physical Symptom Burden and Its Association With Distress, Anxiety, and Depression in Breast Cancer.

In a paper published on Psychosomatics, Holland and colleagues explore the association between physical symptoms with distress, anxiety and depression in breast cancer women. They report that physical symptoms co-occur with depression most commonly and to a lesser extent anxiety and distress in women with breast cancer. In multivariate analyses, a higher total number of problems was associated with younger age and more depressive symptoms.

Link: http://www.psychosomaticsjournal.com/article/S0033-3182(18)30037-9/abstract

2) Prevalence of physical problems detected by the distress thermometer and problem list in patients with breast cancer.

Holland and colleagues investigate the relationship between breast cancer women's perceptions of physical symptoms and patient demographic and breast cancer characteristics. The paper published on Psycho-oncology reports that heavy physical symptom burden with multiple physical problems are related to overall functioning. Author suggest to pay attention to the physical symptom burden of younger, nonwhite, unmarried, and unemployed patients.

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pon.4631

Introduction

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:04:26 GMT

In the last few months, the IPOS community has faced with two imponderable losses. Jimmie Holland passed away on Dec. 24 2017, Andrea Patenaude on January 29, 2018. IPOS and oncology world mourns the loss of the founder of psycho-oncology, Jimmie Holland, and of Andrea Patenaude, recognized internationally for her many contributions in this field.

In this issue, we decided to celebrate their lives and works. In the Up do Date session, we report the last papers they worked on. They were published after their deaths, so as to remember us the enduring debt we have. Despite these papers are not their most famous works, they seem to clearly depict how they contribute to the development of psycho-oncology. We entitled these sections by using a couple of enlightening sentences of two colleagues of Jimmies Holland and Andrea, respectively Bill Breitbart and Lori Wiener. Dr. Breitbart has described how Jimmie Holland was committed in “emphasizing the care of cancer care”. Dr. Wiener highlighted the effortless attempt of Andrea Patenaude in “addressing pertinent questions”. In the Let’s Talk session, you can read the entire pieces Breitbart and Wiener wrote so as to remember and celebrate their colleagues and friends.

Following the paths of these two giants, we hope to sustain the future of IPOS and psycho-oncology. So please have a look at the welcome letter (Stay Connected session) of the two co-chairs of the next 20th International Psycho-Oncology Society World Congress of Psycho-Oncology: Wandy Lam & Sally Lo. Finally, you may find interesting news about upcoming congresses and trends in cancer care in the last two sessions of the present newsletter.

Call for contributors to IQ NEWS

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 21:03:31 GMT

Are you a current member of IPOS?
Do you want to see your work published for other IPOS members to see?
Have something to share with IPOS members?

IPOS is looking for content contributors for its bi-monthly IQ News. IQ News is sent to all IPOS members and highlights the following:

Let’s Talk – What’s happening around the world in Oncology
Stay Connected – Upcoming conferences and events of interest to members
Up to Date – Featured articles and releases
IPOS4You – Scholarship awareness and promotion
IPOS4All – Stories, book reviews

Interesting in contributing? Send an email to info@ipos-society.org with the subject line “IQ News contribution interest.”

IPOS-WHO Training Academy in Kigali, Rwanda

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 21:02:37 GMT

On November 5-6 2017, the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) hosted the 2017 IPOS-WHO Training Academy in Kigali, Rwanda. Co-Chaired by Drs. Melissa Henry and Chioma Asuzu and Co-Sponsored by the World Health Organization, the Academy’s theme was “Cancer Prevention and Control in Africa”. Its goal was to train oncology healthcare professionals working in Africa to 1) better understand cultural, social, and psychological barriers to cancer prevention and control in Africa, and 2) address these barriers through evidenced-based programs.

Through its fundraising efforts, IPOS was able to provide scholarships to 37 professionals across the African continent to attend the Academy. Scholars found the Academy of high quality, impactful, and essential to their practice. “It was an honour to attend this Academy. It was very insightful, very relevant and it definitely was encouraging” “I would like to thank IPOS for this wonderful opportunity. I look forward to future trainings.” Scholars and Faculty of the Academy have formed a community of practice for continued capacity building on the continent.

Representatives of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer, the Rwanda Ministry of Health, and the World Health Organization, presented strong Opening Statements on the central role of psycho-oncology in improving cancer outcomes and the need to include comprehensive cancer care in National Cancer Plans. “We need to come back to our roots”, says the Ministry of Health.

Co-Chairs Drs. Henry and Asuzu met with the Rwanda Minister of Health, the Ministry of Health Director of the Division of HIV and Non-Communicable Disease, and the Director of the National Cancer Unit. All expressed their desire to work with IPOS towards integrating psycho-oncology as part of the National Cancer Plan in Rwanda and its implementation across the country. A special thanks to our donors and supporters who have contributed to the Academy’s success, as well as to the International Scientific Committee: Drs. Melissa Henry (Co-Chair), Chioma Asuzu (Co-Chair), Jimmie Holland, Maggie Watson, Mark Lazenby, Scott Nichols, and Philip Odiyo. Our warmest appreciation to our Academy Faculty for their time and dedication: Dr. Allison Applebaum, Dr. Margaret Barton-Burke, Dr. Akindele Olupelumi Adebiyi, Dr. Elizabeth Akin-Odanye, Dr. Chioma Asuzu, Dr. Francesca Gany, Dr. Melissa Henry, Dr. David Lounsbury, Sokhna Ndiaye, Dr. Scott Nichols, Dr. Christian Ntizimira, Phillip Odyio, Dr. B. Olutoye Ogunnorin.

We would also like to congratulate Dr. Chioma Asuzu for her new position on the AORTIC Board, as AORTIC Vice-President of East Africa.

As expressed by Dr. Jimmie Holland in her Opening Address, “The social and psychological problems of cancer will soon take their rightful place in the curriculum for health care and a healthier Africa.”

Thank you for your continued support as we move our agenda forward in LMIC countries.

Andrea Patenaude: Retirement

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 21:01:26 GMT

Our dear Andrea has just retired. Andrea Patenaude, a pioneer clinical and research child psychologist has just retired from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where she held the position of Director of Psycho-Oncology Research in the Division of Pediatric Oncology, and from the Children´s Hospital in Boston. After more than 30 years of dedication to children with cancer and their families, Andrea is leaving behind an important personal and professional legacy. Andrea´s interest has gone beyond pediatrics. Survivorship, resilience and quality of life have also been her focus of study. In more recent years Andrea became interested in cancer genetics, studying the psychosocial outcomes of women and men undergoing genetic testing for p53 and BRCA1/2, as well as the experience of women undergoing prophylactic mastectomy for increased hereditary cancer risk. Part of her wisdom is embodied in her two books: Genetic Testing for Cancer-Psychological Approaches for Helping Patients and Families, (Amercian Psychological Association, 2002), and Prophylactic Mastectomy – Insights from Women Who Chose to Reduce Their Risk (Praeger, 2012). In addition, Andrea leaves behind a significant number of students, fellows and other professionals supervised by her during her years as Associate Profesor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School.

Andea was the first person I met when I first arrived in Boston. I was lucky enough to be hired by her at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School. I fondly recall the times when I would leave her office impressed by her extensive knowledge of seriously ill children and their families, and by her ability to combine hours of clinical work with the research projects that she so much invested in. I admired her writing skills and her ability to deal with difficult situations efficiently, as well as her capacity to balance her personal and family life with a demanding job with seriously ill kids and their families.

Let me tell you, I have mixed feelings about you retiring Andrea! On the one hand, I respect your well-deserved time away from work which will allow you more dedication to yourself, your family and your friends. On the other hand, I am sure I will not be the only one to miss your contributions to the field.

All your efforts to develop pediatric psychooncology, genetic counselling and specific issues around breast cancer have had an important impact on the lives not only of patients, but of many professionals as well Andrea. This is certainly something to be very proud of. But I also want to acknowledge all the time and effort you have invested in IPOS, to make pediatric psychooncology stronger and more present in our society. Making children one of our main focuses is helping spread the word about important issues when dealing with our younger ones and their distressed families. Your hours of dedication to this endeavour have helped IPOS liaison with other international pediatric oncology societies in very efficient ways. Your contribution to our IPOS Human Rights Committee is also something important to mention.

I believe I can speak in the name of our IPOS community when I thank you for your dedication to the field and to our society. Thank you for having reached this point of your carreer having shared so much of your knowledge and expertise with us. I personally would like to see your retirement not as an ocassion for distancing yourself from psychooncology, but rather as a way to access a greater degree of freedom for creativity, communication and new developments. I have the hope that you will continue to be an active part of IPOS in the years to come. We will always be here, with open arms and many projects (!), to continue being the recipients of your generosity. Good luck in this new stage of life!

Maria Die Trill
President International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS)

New IPOS Communications Committee!

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 21:00:18 GMT

At the 2017 World Congress in Berlin, members of the Communications and Publications Committee met and made the decision to approach the IPOS Website Committee with the recommendation that the two committees merge, given their overlapping and complementary focus related to communications in support of IPOS leaders and members. The Website Committee, recognizing that the website is a major communications tool for IPOS, agreed and the merger resulted in the recently formed Communications Committee. Gil Goldzweig (Israel) and Mary Jane Esplen (Canada) will Co-Chair the newly merged committee. Members of the prior Website and Communications and Publication committees have been invited to serve on the new committee.

The mandate of the Communications Committee includes: encouraging communications between IPOS and its membership, as well as the worldwide psycho-oncology community; the overseeing of content for the website, social media and the IPOS IQ News; liaising with other committee chairs where joint decisions are needed; and obtaining approvals from the Board of Directors on business matters related to IPOS communications. The Communications Committee will also aim to develop, promote and advise on publications under the IPOS Press imprimatur, promote new texts or other materials related to Psychosocial Oncology, look for opportunities to co-brand, co-market or collaborate with our partners and other peer organizations.

Gil and Mary Jane, along with the committee members look forward to serving the IPOS community! Content for IQ News, website or our other social media outlets is always welcome!

We wish IPOS members a Wonderful Holiday Season with time to reflect upon and appreciate the important work that you do. All the best for a Peaceful and Productive 2017!

Introduction

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:55:12 GMT

Dear colleagues,

In this issue of IQ News we have collected, as usual, a few items of scientific news and a few updates about past and future congresses and courses. In order to make a step further in our attempt to share IPOS among different countries and regions, we report in the “Let’s Talk” section: (i) the greetings of Maria Die Trill, who is going to take up her role as Vice-President/President Elect after the Dublin congress; (ii) two reports about the growing African psycho-oncology movement written by Chioma Asuzu (Nigeria), and Philip Odiyo and Hellen Waithaka (Kenya).

In the “Stay Connected” section we also want to celebrate that Dr Bill Breitbart from MSKCC will be awarded the 2017 Trish Greene Quality of Life Award by the National Cancer Society early next year.

We hope you will suggest news and updates for the next issue and whatever your travel plans:

Go dté tú slán (May you go safely)

Editors

Simone Cheli
Contract Professor, School of Human Health Sciences at the University of Florence Chief of Research, Psycho-Oncology Unit, Oncological Department of Florence, Italy

Clare Manicom
Oncology Social Work Supervisor, GVI Oncology, Cape Town, South Africa

The best-selling story of Henrietta Lacks

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:54:28 GMT

It is a bit surprising that “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” written by Rebecca Skloot is still selling well after 5 years and is considered a “must-read” book by critics. They describe the book as being a best seller in the marketplace with on-going sales on Amazon (1st best-seller in the “history of Medicine” as paperback edition, and 3rd best seller as Kindle edition). The story of Henrietta and of the HeLa cells, taken without her knowledge or consent, still fascinates experts and laymen.

Research grants for 2017 to be available soon

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:49:23 GMT

In the next few months a lot of funding opportunities will become available. We particularly suggest our members to monitor a few resources. The World Wide Cancer Research grants will be published in the early 2017. The American Cancer Society continues to encourage research projects that focus on the multifaceted relationship between nutrition and physical activity and cancer. EU Horizon 2020 funding is still available.

Upcoming Conferences and Courses

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:47:18 GMT

1 - Psycho-pharmacology in Cancer Care course, 29 October

Offered at MSKCC in New York, as an update for all clinicians as part of the centre’s Continuing Medical Education programme.

2 - UICC World Cancer Congress at the Palais des Congrès de Paris in France, 31 October – 3 November

3 - Asia-Pacific Psycho-Oncology Network Meeting, 10 - 12 November 2016

Psychosocial Cancer Care
Supporting Patients, Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals NUHS Tower Block Auditorium, Level 1, Singapore 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228

4 - Psycho-Oncology New Zealand conference, November 24-26

Association of Oncology Social Work 32nd Annual Conference, Florida USA, May 2016

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:45:32 GMT

This annual conference draws participants from across the USA, with a splattering of representatives from other countries as well. It’s known within the oncology social work community to be a warm and supportive forum for learning and sharing, exchanging ideas and gaining new skills.

This year’s theme was “A safe harbour in the storm” and the conference included several workshops in addition to plenary and breakaway sessions, together with a comprehensive poster display. For the first time, a post-conference Research Institute was offered to encourage participants to discuss their research ideas, and brush up on techniques or trends in this important aspect of clinical work.

An honest and refreshing look at the AOSW conference through the eyes of a first-time attender is recorded in the AOSW Navigator, and may be accessed at this link.

With thanks to Donald Rolfe, Marketing Communications Manager at AOSW for permission to quote the organisation’s own newsletter, the AOSW Navigator.

Let’s celebrate!

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:43:48 GMT

Dr Bill Breitbart from MSKCC will be awarded the 2017 Trish Green Quality of Life Award by the National Cancer Society early next year. For those of you who missed the announcement, have a look here: http://ipos-society.org/dr-bill-breitbart-recipient-2017-american-cancer-society/

The Psycho-Oncology Society of Kenya (POSK) is finally registered

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:41:39 GMT

The Psycho-Oncology Society of Kenya (POSK) is finally registered, report from Philip Odiyo (Chairman, POSK) & Hellen Waithaka (Secretary General, POSK)

The Psycho Oncology Society of Kenya is finally registered with the Kenyan government. This is a major achievement for the development of Psycho-oncology in Kenya and Eastern Africa. We hope that we can use the opportunity to spur development in other African countries. The objectives of the Kenyan chapter are as follows.

(a) To serve as national body and forum for the dissemination of information to professionals and the general public about psycho-oncology.

(b) To develop excellence in clinical care, research and education in the specialty of psycho-oncology;

(c) To promote education and information sharing through meetings, conferences, workshops, regional meetings and publications.

(d) To advise national agencies about policy issues related to psycho-oncology.

(e) To recognize exceptional contributions to the field of psycho-oncology through distinguished Service or other awards.

(f) To collaborate with institutions that offer psycho-oncology services.

The association currently has around 100 members however this number will increase once we roll out the training programs. We are confident that by the end of next year the number will have increased dramatically since the association is officially registered. We are currently in the process of registering the association to become a member of Kenya Network of Cancer Organizations. KENCO has over 50 non-governmental organizations involved in cancer work in Kenya.

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr Jimmie Holland and the IPOS team for their support and encouragement.

Report: African Psycho-oncology Association [APOA] Conference

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:40:29 GMT

Brief Report on the IPOS Academy at the Inaugural African Psycho-oncology Association [APOA] Conference and Sixth Psycho-oncology Society of Nigeria [POSON] National Conference and Workshop 25-29th July 2016, Calabar, Nigeria, report from Chioma Asuzu.

The opening ceremony at the University of Calabar Conference Centre was attended by the University and Teaching Hospital management team or their representatives, as well as the representative of the World Health Organization, Dr Thompson Igbu and Professor Edisua H Itam, deputy provost of the College of Health Sciences of the university who represented the Vice Chancellor.

The keynote address was presented by Prof Owoidoho Udofia on ‘Cancer Management: Venturing Beyond the Tumor’. The academy and conference was declared open by Professor Itam on behalf of the Vice Chancellor. Prof Lucio Luzzatto gave the first lecture on ‘Cancer diagnosis and cancer prognosis: communication between patients and carers’. The conference and workshop for the remaining two days was held at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and included workshops on Art Psychotherapy (facilitator Dr Paola Luzzatto and Building Psycho-oncology Services and Models – Application to the Nigerian and African context (facilitator Dr Chioma Asuzu).

The POSON Annual General Meeting was held and the 7th POSON National Conference and Workshop will be held Lagos on the last week in May 2017. The APOA General Meeting was held which apart from confirming the interim officers (as the substantive officers) agreed to hold the next APOA Congress in Kenya in 2018.

Introducing the IPOS 2016 World Congress in Dublin, Maria Die Trill, the new IPOS Vice-President/President elected

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:39:28 GMT

Dear friends and colleagues

It is a great honour for me to thank you all for having elected me as the next IPOS Vice-President. I assume this as a great responsibility that I hope to comply with in the most productive and efficient way. I am sure that my experience with IPOS since many years ago, the very competent IPOS members that are involved in working with the society, and all of you, are going to be of great help in this endeavour. I am very much looking forward to working with our current President Luzia Travado, and Past President Barry Bultz, as well as with all members of the Board.

It is not an easy task to define what my expectations of IPOS are given that so much is left to be done, but so much has already been achieved by our predecessors since the early days! Designing new policy initiatives focused around the multidisciplinary psychosocial care of cancer patients and reinforcing existing ones is one of my goals. I believe that our efforts need to continue assuring that psychooncology is at the top of the public health agenda worldwide, something that unfortunately is still not easy to reach in many countries. Increasing membership, especially in countries that are hardly represented in IPOS, is another important goal. Reaching out to countries in South America for example, where there is a significant amount of activity in psychooncology and palliative care is for me, imperative. Increasing collaboration with local psychooncology societies through the Federation will allow us to learn more from each other and collaborate on different projects such as for example, the development of psycho-oncological treatment protocols or clinical practice guidelines that are culturally sensitive and may be easily implemented by professionals in the field. Supporting the introduction of new technologies in the care of cancer patients and their families, as well as in IPOS´s functioning will help us keep updated with modern times!

I also wanted to thank and congratulate the organizers of the next IPOS congress in Dublin. They have designed a program that will reach a global audience; one in which there is room for world leading experts as well as for early career professionals, and one providing a unique opportunity to network, meet colleagues and certainly make new friends. The theme they have chosen for the congress: Psycho-oncology, Science, Art and Practice, Bridging the Gap speaks for itself.

Thank you all and see you in Dublin

Maria Die Trill

The ongoing quest for managing cancer distress

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:18:14 GMT

An article aimed to quantify uptake, adherence to psychological support, and to identify predictors of using each intervention features in the August edition of Psycho-Oncology. This meta-analysis reports how patients appeared more receptive to interventions offered around time of diagnosis, over the telephone and by nurses. On the one hand, authors highlight the need for further research to understand barriers to acceptance of psychological support, particularly because uptake rates were lower for distressed patients. On the other hand, a comment published on Psycho-oncology seems to call into question the effectiveness of “preferable” interventions too. As they all said, more research is truly needed.

Cigarette smoking and other risky behaviors among survivors of adolescent cancer

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:16:53 GMT

What health behaviours are observed in survivors of adolescent and childhood cancer? A recent study has highlighted the risk for un-healthy behaviours, and especially of cigarette smoking.

From a psycho-educational point of view, such results urge us to implement the preventive strategies and education more diligently with adolescent, young adult and childhood cancer survivors.

The obesity paradox and the benefit of physical activity

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:14:24 GMT

The JAMA Oncology editorial published in the September issue focusses on the connection between physical wellbeing and colorectal cancer. The journal provides additional studies that report how weight management and physical activity can prevent the risk of developing certain cancers as well as reducing the mortality once diagnosed.

IPOS now a member of European Cancer Organisation (ECCO)

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:12:24 GMT

This year IPOS became a member of ECCO which represents 24 member organisations. This gives IPOS greater visibility within the group of professional cancer societies in Europe.

We are participating in their working groups such as the Oncopolicy Committee and the Quality Cancer Care guidelines group. Neil Aaronson went to the first meeting of this year’s Oncopolicy Committee. This committee is constituted to help set ECCO’s priorities and ensure communications from ECCO provide a clear and assertive voice within the cancer policy community. Elisabeth Andritsch is participating in the Quality Cancer Care guidelines groups, which are addressing colo-rectal cancer and sarcomas. Luzia Travado represented IPOS by participating in the General Assembly, and by attending the ECCO Membership Strategy group, and the congress programme development session.

IPOS will have a presence in ECCO’s congress next January in Amsterdam, which may encourage IPOS members and their local associations to participate in this large congress together with all major cancer societies in Europe. Although our participation is somewhat limited due to the fact that the programme had been finalised when we became members and were involved in its discussion, it is a major breakthrough for IPOS to have a presence and participation at this major event in Europe regarding cancer.

http://www.ecco-org.eu/About-Ecco

Psychosocial aspects of cancer care included in recommendations for revised Global Curriculum (GC) guidelines of ESMO/ASCO

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:11:27 GMT

2016 has seen further revisions to the recommended training documents for physicians studying medical oncology. Advisers from both ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) and ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) collaborated with experts from around the world to provide comprehensive training guidelines that now include sections on aspects of cancer care that are essential across all tumour groups:

Palliative and supportive care
Psychosocial aspects
Communication
Bioethical, legal and economic concerns

IPOS president, Dr Luzia Travado, worked with a colleague from the United States to contribute to the section on Psychosocial Aspects of Cancer (Section 5 in the draft document). The IQ News editors note with pride that several of the articles cited in this lengthy document as references were authored by IPOS members!!

A PDF of the entire document is available online and was available to conference delegates attending the ESMO conference in Copenhagen in early October.

For a press release from ESMO/ASCO regarding the revised Global Curriculum see the link here.

Welcome back to IQ-News - June 2016 Issue

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:09:17 GMT

Dear members

A few months have passed since the last issue, and we are very excited to be presenting the next one. We would especially like to highlight three main topics that are very relevant for the present (and hopefully the future) of psycho-oncology and for IPOS too.

FIRST: In the Up to Date, section we have summarized a few interesting studies about the role of socio-economic variables in cancer care. The society’s official journal Psycho-oncology will publish a Special Issue in the Autumn/Fall of 2016 on Equality and Diversity issues, including socio-economic factors impacting cancer care . The SI Guest Editors Dr Iain Lawrie and Dr Laura Ashley, of the British Psychosocial Oncology Society, have compiled an interesting set of papers selected from the 47 submitted. These will be disseminated widely – look out for this Special Issue later this year.

SECOND: In the Let’s Talk section, we have decided to stress the need for an effective African network in psycho-oncology care. We assume such a network is nowadays missing, and we hope the forthcoming launch of the new African psycho-oncology society will support this mission. In the next few issues, we would like to focus on “state of the art” of psycho-oncology across different regions of the world. Tell us what is happening in your region and help us in developing the next issue!

THIRD: As we anticipated in the previous issue of the IQ-News, we are launching a survey devoted to collecting information about needs and feedback from all our IPOS members. In the Stay Connected section, you can find the link to the survey and the basic instructions. Your input can help IPOS to support you! Therefore, we hope many members will complete the survey.

Editors

Simone Cheli
Contract Professor, School of Human Health Sciences at the University of Florence Chief of Research, Psycho-Oncology Unit, Oncological Department of Florence, Italy

Clare Manicom
Oncology Social Work Supervisor, GVI Oncology, Cape Town, South Africa

######The newsletter includes 5 sections:

Up to Date: scientific news such as updates and alerts about books, papers, guidelines that may refer both to the specific psycho-oncological field and to advances and trends that may help psycho-oncologists.
Let’s talk: in each issue we plan an interview with an expert in psycho-oncology about recently published papers and/or about specific best practice or tool.
Stay connected: alerts with institutional news about IPOS activities and services such as congresses, awards, calls, etc.
IPOS4You: professional news about job alerts in psycho-oncology, call for projects, research opportunities, courses and so on.
IPOS4All: comprehensive cancer information, in a popular scientific manner, that may help people living with cancer.

June 2016 Issue

SECTIONS

Up to Date
• Socio-Economic Status (SES) and Cancer Care
• Recently Published Guidelines
• The Healthy Role of our Lifestyle

Let’s talk
• Establishing psycho-oncology care in Africa

Stay connected
• IQ-News Survey on IPOS Members’ Needs
• Bultz named Daniel Family Leadership Chair in Psychosocial Oncology
• IPOS Treasurer Dr. Anja Mehnert Awarded
• New award instituted
• Completed conferences

IPOS4You
• Grants and funding available
• Training courses

IPOS4All
• Trends and Advances in Cancer Care
• Facing Life and Facing Death
• The Destiny of the War against Cancer
• Is homeopathy something more than placebo?

Socio-Economic Status (SES) and Cancer Care

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:08:01 GMT

Recent research papers are stressing the relevance of SES in cancer care; that is the primary role of education and income in accessing the best available cure. Some papers note the influence of unemployment and the global economic crisis (associated with increased unemployment) on cancer mortality (unemployment increases are associated with rises in cancer mortality). A British study estimated that the 2008–10 economic crisis was associated with about 260 000 excess cancer-related deaths in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development alone (link: http://bit.ly/1sAeFEr). Moreover, patients’ income seems to be correlated to cancer clinical trial participation (link: http://bit.ly/1ttJCut).

At the same time health literacy seems to be linked with cancer screening (link: http://bit.ly/1SBU2hx). Communication remains a critical issue in cancer care and is discussed in the May 2016 edition of JAMA Oncology (http://bit.ly/1UXYibo).
In the next few months Psycho-oncology is going to publish a special issue on Equality and Diversity including factors such as sociodemographic inequalities in cancer care (link: http://bit.ly/1sIgL5u). The proposal for the Special Issue was supported by the British Psychosocial Oncology Society and the global response in terms of papers received was exceptional with 47 papers submitted for consideration. While not all could be included, it demonstrates that the psycho-oncology community has a buoyant research agenda focussing on these important factors affecting the care of patients and their families.

Establishing psycho-oncology care in Africa – a little background and some current events

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:06:45 GMT

At the risk of stating the obvious, Africa is a large continent with several regional differences in terms of climate, socio-economic circumstances and access to health care. Several countries have state-funded cancer treatment centres, with a few countries offering private health care facilities for oncology treatments. Oncology care in Africa is developing gradually, with the focus necessarily being on aspects of prevention, screening and early detection of disease as access to treatment is a challenge in most African countries. Psycho-oncology is still an under-resourced aspect of cancer care across the continent.

In the early 1990s a small group known as PAPOS (Pan-African Psycho-Oncology Society) was formed and held its inaugural conference in Cape Town in 1992. Several PAPOS conferences followed into the early 2000’s, embracing practitioners from different disciplines across Africa and including input from professionals from further afield such as the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. Sadly PAPOS was unable to maintain its momentum and no longer exists.

Since then, the palliative care and Hospice movement have offered much training and guidance across Africa in terms of end of life care, with a particular focus on psycho-social needs of patients and families. Discipline-specific groups such as National Oncology Nursing Society of South Africa (NONSA) and South African Oncology Social Work Forum (SAOSWF) were formed at the beginning of this century. In Nigeria the Association for Psycho-Oncology in Africa (POSON) is active, as is evident in the pieces below. 1993 saw the formation of AORTIC (African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer) and this organisation has grown in terms of scientific input, but has latterly offered specialised input from psycho-oncology experts such as Dr Jimmie Holland, Dr David Kissane, Dr Maggie Watson, Dr Andrea Patenaude and others from IPOS who have generously shared their time and knowledge.

The possibility of a new psycho-oncology organisation for the whole continent was explored during an AORTIC conference in 2013 resulting in further discussions at the 2015 conference with the formal inauguration of the Association for Psycho-Oncology in Africa taking place this year (see (2) below). With closer connections between the scattered individuals practising psycho-oncology in different countries, there is once more a possibility of sharing resources and skills, and of reaching communities that are remote. Working in environments where logistics can be challenging and access to information difficult, it makes a huge amount of sense for practitioners to work together to increase the awareness of psycho-social needs of our patients and their families, and improve the care that we can provide!

News from IPOS in Africa kindly contributed by Dr. Jimmie Holland:

1) African Organisation for Research and Training In Cancer (AORTIC) Conference Marrakech, Morocco, November 19, 2015

The 4th Biennial International AORTIC IPOS-WHO Academy on Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Cancer Care in Africa was held on the topic of Special Issues for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults. This is part of the continuing IPOS efforts to improve education and clinical care in Low-Middle Income countries. The convenors were Chioma Asuzu, PhD, psychologist, University of Ibadan; Jimmie Holland, MD, Memorial, New York and Maggie Watson, PhD, Royal Marsden, UK. Andrea Patenaude was Chair of the Program Committee. Ten African professionals were awarded competitive travel scholarships. (See photo)

Attendees and Faculty Members of the 4th Biennial International AORTIC IPOS-WHO Academy on Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Cancer Care in Africa

2) Formation of the Association for Psycho-Oncology in Africa (APOA)

At the Marrakesh meeting, a Task Force of approximately 15 people met and agreed on the formation of APOA to encourage and network professionals across the 52 countries in Africa in education and clinical issues in the psychosocial care of patients with cancer. This builds on the Nigerian Psycho-oncology Society which is already a member of the IPOS Federation, and efforts to form a Kenya Society. The inaugural meeting of APOA will be in late July, 2016. Dr. Asuzu was asked to serve as President until such a time that an election can be held. The meeting will be held in Calabar Convention Center in Nigeria. APOA will encourage work in Nairobi, Kenya with nurses doing palliative care through Philip Odiyo, and training opportunities for professionals from francophone countries, through Sokhna Ndiaye who works in Dakar, Senegal with children with cancer.

3) Winner of American Association for Cancer Research scholarship - Chioma Asuzu, PhD.

Chioma Asuzu is the seminal figure who has moved psychosocial oncology forward in Africa. Beginning as a member of AORTIC and supporter of psychosocial issues there, she applied and was awarded one of the first grants given by the National Cancer Institute to African investigators through AORTIC. Her study is an important one in providing information on a major reason for delay in diagnosis in Africa: treatment first by traditional healers. She interviewed patients who came to the University Hospital in Ibadan about their experience and then spoke with their traditional healers who were interviewed. Overall, they expressed a wish to know more about the early symptoms of cancer and wanted to cooperate with cancer care in their community, referring those with early disease. She is submitting to the AORTIC second round of grants to pilot an educational program for traditional healers in the region around Ibadan. She is also proposed as the Chair of the Psychosocial Research Core of a grant to NCI for a Center of Excellence in Cancer Research in Ibadan.

In addition, Dr.Asuzu has developed, with the Departments of Psychology in Ibadan University and Radiation Oncology in the University Hospital, an accredited Masters level program to train clinicians from any background in psychosocial oncology over a two year period. The program is in its second year and she proposes to add a PhD level in the future. She plans to work with the Ibadan Distance Learning Office and explore ways that professionals from other countries can train in the program, taking part at home through online education, and then spending time in Ibadan for the clinical supervised training component. Dr. Asuzu is the moving force for psychosocial oncology in Africa

In March 2016, Dr. Asuzu was awarded a competitive AACR Scholarship to attend the American Association for Cancer Research in New Orleans in April, 2016. There were over 150 applications and she was awarded one of six. She is now also on the Research Committee of AORTIC and on the IPOS Board of Directors.

Trends and Advances in Cancer Care

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:05:51 GMT

In recent years genetics has become a leading tread in medical research, and, specifically, in cancer research. Charles Swanton, an expert on cancer evolution who led the latest study at the Francis Crick Institute in London, said the discovery of surface proteins shared by all of a patient’s cancer cells provided an “Achille’s heel” for future therapies to target (link:https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/03/genetics-of-cancer-tumours-reveal-possible-treatment-revolution).

IQ-News Survey on IPOS Members’ Needs

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:04:34 GMT

We are launching a survey devoted to collect information, needs and feedbacks by all you IPOS members. The survey will close on 30 June. All the data we are going to collect will help to shape future editions of the IQ-News and may assist services provided by IPOS to members. The more data we collect, the more members’ needs can be addressed. We guarantee confidentiality and the anonymity of our responses. Here you can find the link to the survey: http://goo.gl/forms/Zl9hel9PIBSQ687t1.

Facing Life and Facing Death

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:02:14 GMT

All the efforts we put into prolonging life are of questionable value if we do not consider that the quality of life should also include the way we face death. This is the moral foundation of Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal. In his book, Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified (link: http://iconsa.co.za/networkmembersnews/review-being-mortal/ ).

Grants and funding available

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:00:42 GMT

These are the grants and funding available for projects and research in the cancer field. For more information see the embedded links.

National Cancer Institute (current and recent requests) http://deais.nci.nih.gov/foastatus/

Worldwide cancer research (twice a year) http://www.worldwidecancerresearch.org/funding/make-an-application

American cancer society (ongoing deadlines) http://www.cancer.org/research/applyforaresearchgrant/granttypes/index

Bultz named Daniel Family Leadership Chair in Psychosocial Oncology

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:58:43 GMT

IPOS Past President Dr. Barry Bultz – named Daniel Family Leadership Chair in Psychosocial Oncology. Patrick Daniel has been a strong supporter of excellence in cancer care and, in particular, the area of psychosocial oncology. During his tenure as CEO of Enbridge, Inc. that organization made what was then their largest ever donation to establish the Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology. Mr. Daniel has retired from Enbridge and he and his family have now established the Daniel Family Foundation. Through this Foundation, Patrick and his family have demonstrated their commitment to excellence in psychosocial oncology with a gift to establish the Daniel Family Leadership Chair in Psychosocial Oncology. The Chair will be held by Dr. Barry Bultz, Professor and Head, Division of Psychosocial Oncology in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, and Director of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC). Dr. Bultz is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute. Dr. Bultz has established a global reputation in the area of psychosocial oncology with his seminal research in “Distress as the Sixth Vital Sign” and his leadership in achieving International Union for Cancer Control (UICC) recognition of this important area. His research carried on both at TBCC and internationally, has demonstrated that 35-45 per cent of cancer patients experience high levels of distress; these findings have led to innovations in clinical care. The funding from this Chair will be instrumental in supporting ongoing research in this field with the clear vision of alleviating the distress faced by cancer patients and their families.

IPOS Treasurer Dr. Anja Mehnert Awarded

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:57:19 GMT

IPOS Treasurer Dr. Anja Mehnert awarded the 2016 German Cancer Award for Clinical Research. The oldest and largest cancer congress in Germany is held every two years in Berlin and this year the 32nd German Cancer Congress awarded the German cancer award to several researchers including Professor Dr. Anja Mehnert, PhD, from the University Medical Center in Leipzig. The awarding of this prize to a psycho-oncology researcher and practitioner is significant as it is the first award in this category to be presented to a mental health researcher. Anja Mehnert is a medical psychologist whose study featured psychotherapeutic interventions for people with advanced cancer to minimize depression and distress. Together with her research team she evaluated concepts such as meaning-making, the meaning of life and demoralization in cancer as well as developing practical interventions to support the patient. Their work is particularly relevant for those cancer patients for whom a long-term for a cure is not possible.

https://www.krebsgesellschaft.de/deutsche-krebsgesellschaft-wtrl/deutsche-krebsgesellschaft/ueber-uns/preise-auszeichnungen/deutscher-krebspreis.html

Training courses

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:54:41 GMT

The NCCN 2016 Nursing Program: Advancing Oncology Nursing Live Webinar Series will provide the oncology nurse with comprehensive and clinically relevant information regarding the management of patients with cancer: diagnosis and management of sepsis, anorexia and cachexia, management of cardiac toxicities in cancer survivors, and global oncology nursing outreach efforts as well as breast cancer, lung cancer, multiple myeloma, and T-cell lymphomas. (https://www.nccn.org/professionals/meetings/default.aspx )

Benefits of pilot training course in psycho-oncology by EPAAC in Romania – from Degi Csaba Following a pilot training in Psycho-oncology that was held in Romania (see photo), with input from EPAAC and IPOS successful developments are evident and are shaping important improvements in cancer policy and cancer care in Romania. In March 2016 the Romanian Ministry of Health convened committees within the country to advise and participate in a working group on Romania’s National Cancer Control Plan for 2016-2020. (http://www.psychooncology.ro/committee-for-social-work-and-support-in-oncology/ ) Dr. Degi Csaba (seen on far left of photo) will serve as a part of this working group and is IPOS’s representative for Romania.

IPOS trainers and participants in the 2013 Communication Skills Training and Psychosocial Oncology Care course held in Romania

Dr. Dégi László Csaba PhD MSW
Associate professor at Babes Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Romania

One year post-diploma studies of psychotherapy in cancer care in Poland – from Ewa Gruszczyńska A new one year post-diploma studies of psychotherapy in cancer care will start in October 2016 at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland. This is the first program in Poland entirely devoted to state-of-the art psychological interventions to improve patients’ quality of life and facilitate coping with medical treatment through supportive psychotherapy. As such it is addressed to experienced psychotherapists who would like either to specialize in psycho-oncology or to enrich their professional competencies to effectively adjust psychological help to the needs of oncological patients and their families.

The course consists of 250 hours: 100 hours of lectures and 150 hours of workshops and classes. Teachers are leading figures in the field from Poland as well as visiting scholars from abroad. The program is being affiliated to the Polish Psycho-Oncological Society.
More details can be obtained from Joanna Zapała, MA, Clin. Psyc. (jzapala@swps.edu.pl) and Ewa Gruszczyńska, PhD (egruszczynska@swps.edu.pl).

The Destiny of the War against Cancer

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:53:51 GMT

More than four ¬decades after President Nixon declared war on cancer, Vincent DeVita Jr. maintains we have not to believe “the cynics, the press, or the doubters. We are winning this war”. DeVita's long experience and practice, from a young medical student, to director of the National Cancer Institute, physician-in-chief at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and director of the Yale Cancer Center, stands at the core of his new book: The Death of Cancer (link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/the-death-of-cancer-by-vincent-t-devita-jr-and-elizabeth-devita-raeburn.html?_r=0).

New award instituted

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:53:03 GMT

At the biennial Congress of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) in Morocco, November 2015, Dr Ahmed Elzawawy, President of AORTIC, announced the inauguration of the James and Jimmie Holland Research Award. The award acknowledges the role of Dr James Holland as a Founding Member of AORTIC in the 1980s, and to Dr Jimmie Holland for her continuing contributions to psychosocial and behavioral research and training in Africa. The Award will be given biennially at the Congress to the African investigator who’s abstract/study presented at the Congress is considered the best.

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2016, Roche Pharmaceuticals compiled and launched a booklet acknowledging Women as Change Agents in Oncology

(http://bit.ly/1Q8VbBx)

This report is downloadable in PDF format and highlights the achievements of women historically and currently in the different disciplines in oncology, including the work of IPOS President, Dr Luzia Travado! Congratulations Luzia on this recognition. (http://www.roche.com/waca_report.pdf) Luzia’s piece highlights the vital role of psycho-oncology in providing care, especially embracing the value of a multi-disciplinary team.

Recently Published Guidelines

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:52:13 GMT

In the last months, two relevant guidelines have been published. On the one hand, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored a special supplement in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine entitled, “Addressing Cancer Survivorship Through Public Health Research, Surveillance, and Programs” (link: http://www.ajpmonline.org/issue/S0749-3797%2815%29X0006-7). The supplement reports new research findings, information on surveillance and programme activities, as well as an overview of other work conducted by CDC and its partners over the past decade to identify and address the needs of cancer survivors.

On the other hand, the US National Comprehensive Cancer Network has released what they call the Palliative Care Version 1.2016 (link to: http://www.jnccn.org/content/14/1/82.abstract). The NCCN Guidelines are intended to provide guidance for the primary oncology team on the integration of palliative care into oncology.

Completed conferences

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:51:16 GMT

African Organisation of Research and Training in Cancer Conference was held in Marrakech in November 2015 (as mentioned in Section 2 – Let’s talk). This conference featured important input from IPOS members in the form of Academy sessions on Psychosocial and Behavioural Aspects of Cancer Care in Africa, with particular attention to Special Issues for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults (link: http://aorticconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015-AORTIC-Abstract-Publication.pdf). A full report on the Academy’s content and proceedings is attached

British Psychosocial Oncology Society 2016 Annual Conference: The conference was held on 3–4 March 2016 in Cambridge, UK. The focus of the conference was on promoting the advancement of education, clinical practice, and research in psychosocial oncology. Psycho-oncology recently published the proceedings for free to readers. (link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.v25.S1/issuetoc)

American Psychosocial Oncology Society 13th Annual Conference was held in San Diego, California, USA from 3-5 March 2016. The conference theme was “Psychosocial cancer care for all – achieving equity in psychosocial oncology” (Link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.v25.S2/issuetoc)

Association of Oncology Social Work 32nd Annual Conference was held in Tampa, Florida, USA from 4-6 May 2016. The attention of the conference was "Oncology Social Workers: A Safe Harbor in the Storm" (Link: https://www.aosw.org/AOSW/media/Main-Site-Files/2016%20Annual%20Conference/Documents/AOSW-PP-16-FNL-3_22.pdf)

Is homeopathy something more than placebo?

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:50:25 GMT

The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) seems to reject the effectiveness of homeopathy in cancer care. “Based on the assessment of the evidence of effectiveness of homeopathy, NHMRC concludes that there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective” (link: http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2016/02/16/paul-glasziou-still-no-evidence-for-homeopathy/). The debate is far from over.

Is homeopathy something more than placebo?

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:48:59 GMT

The Healthy Role of our Lifestyle

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:47:44 GMT

A healthy lifestyle pattern has been defined as never or past smoking (pack-years <5), no or moderate alcohol drinking (≤1 drink/d for women, ≤2 drinks/d for men), BMI of at least 18.5 but lower than 27.5, and weekly aerobic physical activity of at least 75 vigorous-intensity or 150 moderate-intensity minutes. Research on a very large sample (89 571 women and 46 339 men) proved that substantial cancer burden may be prevented through lifestyle modification (link: https://oncology.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2522371). Additional studies seem to prove that single factors such as BMI (link: https://oncology.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2522371) and physical exercise (link: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-015-2953-9) are effective tools in primary prevention of cancer, and in management of symptoms such as cancer related fatigue. From a psycho-oncological point of view, we may consider psychological health as a component of a mind-body approach to wellbeing. For example, studies on a large sample highlight that a past history of depression is a predictor of poorer overall survival in breast (link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/enhanced/doi/10.1002/pon.4037), neck and head (link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.29693/abstract) cancer patients.

Upcoming Professional congresses

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:46:51 GMT

ASCO Annual Meeting – 3-7 June 2016 Chicago, USA.
Early Registration – Closed (Link: http://am.asco.org/)

MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting on Supportive Care in Cancer. 23-25 June 2016 Adelaide, Australia.
Regular Registration – Closing 8th June (link: http://mascc2016.kenes.com/)

ESMO 2016 Congress – 7-11 October 2016 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Regular Registration – Closing 30th June (link: http://www.esmo.org/Conferences/ESMO-2016-Congress)

18th International Psycho Oncology Society Congress. 17–21 October 2016 Dublin, Ireland.
Early Registration – Closing 30th June 2016 (link: ipos2016.net)

World Cancer Congress – 31 October – 3 November 2016 Paris, France.
Hosted by UICC, with the theme of Mobilising Action, Inspiring Change. Discounted registration fees until 31 August 2016 (link: http://www.worldcancercongress.org/ )

ESMO ASIA 2016 Congress – 16-19 December 2016 Singapore.
Abstract Submission – Closing 17th August (link: http://www.esmo.org/Conferences/ESMO-Asia-2016-Congress)

EONS 10 Congress – 17-18 October 2016 Dublin, Ireland
Early Registration – Closing 30th July 2016 (link: http://eonsdublin2016.com/)

48th SIOP Congress – 19-22 October 2016 Dublin, Ireland
Early Registration – Closing 19th June 2016 (link: http://www.siop2016.kenes.com/)

IPOS Quarterly Newsletter (IQ-News) - December 2015 Issue

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 19:45:32 GMT

Our Vision

We hope that the IPOS newsletter will spread a sense of belonging among all IPOS members by sharing best practices and fostering professional networking. We’d like to especially promote an easy-to-understand approach and style that can attract different members from different regions and fields. To this end we invite IPOS members to contribute by emailing us with news and alerts about what you think can be relevant for all of us.

Newsletter format: The newsletter is intended to be a quarterly publication. We’ve conceived five sections:

Up to Date:scientific news such as updates and alerts about books, papers, guidelines that may refer both to the specific psycho-oncological field and to advances and trends that may help psycho-oncologists.
Let’s talk: in each issue we plan an interview with an expert in psycho-oncology about recently published papers and/or about specific best practice or tool.
Stay connected: alerts with institutional news about IPOS activities and services such as congresses, awards, calls, etc.
IPOS4You: professional news about job alerts in psycho-oncology, call for projects, research opportunities, courses and so on.
IPOS4All: comprehensive cancer information, in a popular scientific manner, that may help people living with cancer.

Editors

Simone Cheli

Contract Professor, School of Human Health Sciences at the University of Florence

Chief of Research, Psycho-Oncology Unit, Oncological Department of Florence, Italy

Clare Manicom

Oncology Social Work Supervisor, GVI Oncology, Cape Town, South Africa

December 2015 Issue

SECTIONS

Up to Date

Let’s Talk

The 30^th Anniversary of IPOS

Stay Connected

IPOS4You

IPOS4All

Welcome to IQ News

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 19:44:24 GMT

In 2014 the IPOS Board approved the setting up of an online Newsletter for members. The most important reasons for the society’s publication of a newsletter are to disseminate information to members, provide avenues to connect, and help you to really feel part of the global community of psycho-oncologists. The newsletter should convey a sense of belonging and provide opportunities for sharing what you are doing with others. Access should be simple and inclusive and give you a sense of ownership: this is your newsletter.

The aim is to provide a newsletter delivered electronically: it will arrive in your email on a regular basis and requires only that you open it and read!

To develop this effort a call was made for Co-Editors and Clare Manicom and Simone Cheli were appointed, from a strong field of candidates. Their task is to guide your Newsletter through its re-birth. They bring enthusiasm and skill to this not inconsiderable challenge. This is the re-birth of the IPOS Newsletter in e-format.

I say re-birth because IPOS had a Newsletter in the past. Some of you may remember those days when the newsletter was printed on paper and mailed out. Now the world of communication has changed and through email, and the internet we can be more easily connected to our professional community. It also becomes more affordable to have this type of newsletter connection; an important factor for a society that must conserve its resources as a responsibility to the members.

Looking Back

Looking back at some of the earliest issues of the IPOS newsletter was also a reminder that it‘s a way to record events and progress. So when taking a trip down memory lane by reading some of the early editions these were some of the notable milestones:

1989 Winter/Spring Edition: Recorded some details of the 2nd meeting of the IPOS Board held in July 1988. Then in the 1990 Winter/Spring Edition it was reported that the 1st AGM was held in Hamburg, Germany during the 15th UICC Congress.

By 1991 the newsletter was officially designed as Issue Number 1 and details were provided about the first combined scientific meeting of IPOS with the European Society of Psychosocial Oncology [ESPO] and that the 2nd IPOS AGM was held in New York City, USA.

Moving forward to 1993 the society conferred the first honorary memberships on Dr Bernard Fox [USA], Dr Kalle Achte [Finland] and Dr Lawrence Goldie [UK] in recognition of their pioneering work that helped establish the science and clinical practice of psycho-oncology.

At that time, an IPOS position paper was published in the newly established scientific journal Psycho-oncology [“Psycho-oncology: Overview, Obstacles and Opportunities” PON 1(1) pp 1-13 1992] and an abstract of this important paper was published in the IPOS newsletter.

The Present There is so much more to report now, to tell each other and share. Please read the newsletters and enjoy being part of this new endeavour in an era of sophisticated communication methods. Please help by contributing and sharing information with our new editors Clare and Simone.

Maggie Watson
Chair IPOS Communications and Publications Committee December 2015

New guidelines in breast cancer screening: the debate still goes on

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 19:43:45 GMT

The American Cancer Society has updated the guidelines for breast cancer screening. Under the new guidelines, breast cancer screening can be started at age 45 instead of 40 (http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/news/american-cancer-society-releases-new-breast-cancer-guidelines). At the same time, organizations such as Mayo Clinic and Breastcancer.org stand by their recommendation that all women have mammograms annually starting at age 40. (http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/acs-guidelines-recommend-mammograms-at-45). Nancy L. Keating stated in an editorial in JAMA (http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2463237) that the debate is far from settled elsewhere in the world.

Reports back from 2015 APOS-IPOS International Congress, Washington DC

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 19:42:00 GMT

Csaba Degi, Romania

The 17th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology and Psychosocial Academy in Washington DC was for me an intensive five day multidisciplinary platform for professional development and networking, and for active involvement in committee and international federation work, too. Yes, it was a truly historical meeting in many ways. The most significant professional and personal experience relates to the new IPOS standard - psychosocial care as a human right - discussed and endorsed in inspiring and highly practical panels. The IPOS mentoring lunch, advocacy talks and the federation meeting all created a memorable congress experience for me. For Romania, an underserved country regarding psycho-oncology training and services, it was a historical moment because the IPOS Multilingual Core Curriculum was officially launched in Romanian at this conference. It includes five webcasts in Romanian presented by the Romanian Association for Communication and Services in Oncology. This IPOS/APOS Congress also brought an ever-renewing and inclusive perspective on screening for distress and unmet communication needs in cancer patients. Finally, I did not forget to buy a copy of IPOS's Comfort Food Recipes Book and I just love it. And yes, Dr Holland signed it for me, just another historical moment.

Samantha Flynn, England

As an Early Career Professional, attending the World Congress of Psycho-Oncology in Washington, DC was an incomparable experience; with opportunities to network with world-class researchers, established and early career, both formally (i.e. the Mentoring Lunches) and informally through the course of the congress. The wide-ranging and engaging program at times made it difficult to decide which sessions to attend – which can never be considered a negative! For me, the most exciting sessions were those which invited me to consider areas and concepts outside that of my own work, particularly the suicide and cancer symposium which not only offered exceptional presentations, but also a stimulating dialogue from presenters and audience members alike – further highlighting the importance of this area. The plenaries were well-considered, and widely relevant, and I found the “Town Hall Meeting” regarding Palliative Care for Patients with Advanced Disease around the World to be insightful and inspiring, as was the Lunchtime Plenary on the subject of Patient Advocacy.

Whilst my work is niche, to say the least, the broader research presented throughout the congress offered unfamiliar and exciting concepts which sparked new interest and enabled me to consider my own research from new perspectives – this, in itself, was invaluable.

Carmen Loiselle, Canada

Overtime, various scholars have asked: ‘Why do people go to international conferences?’ Some even propose the following: roughly 50% curiosity and 50% vanity! Whereas the first seems definitely correct, when it comes to psychosocial oncology, the second seems far from the truth - I would say it is at least 50% engagement. In fact, the various advantages of attending this international conference year after year is the energy and inspiration that we get from the sense of generosity and community from the Chair, the organizing committee, board members and attendees who present state-of-the art initiatives from various parts of the world. In addition, the opportunity for face-to-face exchanges, exposure to the latest topics and methodology, and the sharing of new and exciting findings designate this conference as an essential event to attend.

The 2015 World Congress of Psycho-Oncology (a joint conference of IPOS and APOS) in Washington, DC went beyond these honorable goals through a thoughtful program design, productive breaks, planning of questions and answers opportunities throughout sessions, panels, symposiums, poster sessions and social gatherings. Yes, the cruise was a success in as much as the dance floor reached over capacity with attendees demonstrating amazing dancing skills! Moreover, the sumptuous views were breath taking.

The thought provoking keynote from Dr Patricia Ganz including the timely topic of precision medicine (once called personalized medicine) and its potential impact on psychosocial oncology as well as the various international presentations from European and Asian researchers and North American perspectives from Canada and the US - all converged to inform new research priorities and therefore served to enrich our field.

Hence, this conference infused me with new ideas, facilitated networking and connections with "old" colleagues, and inspired me to reach out to international research groups from countries that I have yet to visit. These most stimulating exchanges propelled me, when I returned, to write up a sabbatical request that included timely topics and new collaborators.

Once more, IPOS has succeeded in widening our scope and setting the stage for the discovery of new ideas, new colleagues and new friendships!

Sokhna Ndiaye, Senegal

Etymologically, in "Psycho-Oncology" the person comes before the cancer. Looking back on my very first World Congress in TURKEY, I remember being amazed by the discovery of this new world of knowledge and encounters with likeminded scientists. 2015's unique joined APOS/IPOS World Congress was a refreshing gathering of experts from all continents who have long understood one basic concept: we treat people, not a disease. The conference in Washington was loaded with top quality presentations but the pre-conference workshops are the greatest opportunity for smaller groups to get better acquainted and to participate in interactive sessions with international experts. The energy level was impressive when forty people laid on the floor to perform the body-scan together.

The highlight of 2015's Congress was the poignant and authentic "Dramatic Reading of Sophocles' Philoctetes". In this audience of cancer professionals, people were tearing up after the performance but we were flabbergasted by the life stories our invited panelists narrated. Everyone was touched in their humanity because suffering isn't foreign to any soul.

Hopefully, this makes us more empathetic, understanding and caring to our patients and their families. To quote the late Maya Angelou "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike".

The Anticancer Diet: A Few Recommendations and the Science Beyond Them

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:41:14 GMT

The English translation of the international bestseller “The Anticancer Diet” has been published. Dr. Daviid Khayat, the author of this book, is the former head of the National Cancer Institute in France. He focuses on 5 golden rules and describes the scientific evidence beyond such guidelines: (I) don’t smoke; (II) eat a varied diet; (iii) try different ways of cooking your food; (iv) try to eat local, seasonal and sustainably-grown products; (v) rebalance your energy input and output.

View Link

Cognitive Changes During Chemotherapy

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:39:13 GMT

Some cancer patients and survivors feel a mental cloudiness or “brain fog” that occurs during and after chemotherapy, sometimes referred to as chemobrain.

View Link

MSKCC link to CAM Meds - The Truth behind Three Natural Cancer “Cures”

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:38:09 GMT

Therapies such as acupuncture and massage can be a useful complement to conventional methods of treating cancer. But “cure-all” solutions that claim to eliminate disease naturally aren’t proven to work — and can actually be dangerous for people with cancer.

View Link

Grants and Funding Available

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:36:38 GMT

These are the grants and funding available for projects and research in the cancer field. For more information see the embedded links.

Future technologies (Closes 21 December)

ESMO (Closes 12 January)

American cancer society (Closes 15 February)

Worldwide cancer research (Closes 4 March)

State Russian Training on Psycho-oncology

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:35:28 GMT

We are happy to announce that the very first State Russian Training on Psycho-oncology is started. A first group of about 250 attendant oncologists, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and palliative care specialists will attend the course based in Moscow. The program includes diverse areas of psycho-oncology and communication skills training.

For more information please contact Dr. Natalia Rivkina at: rivkina.natalia@gmail.com

Upcoming Professional congresses

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:33:27 GMT

APOS Congress (abstract submission date closed) – March 2016

Asian Oncology Summit – March 2016

MASCC Congress – June 2016

IPOS 18th World Congress – October 2016

The New e-Health Special Interest Group, from Tania Estape

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:32:50 GMT

The new information and communication technologies are a reality parallel to life, including illness, being cancer one of the most sought via internet. Also applications and serious games are appearing involving an expanded and continued support to patient and relatives. In last IPOS Congress (Washington) we have the meeting of the SIG on e-health jointly with APOS group to determine lines of action. It included presentation from Cancer Support Community about their great work. This year it is intended to proceed with data collection to gather information on the status of the issue of e-health in Psychooncology around the world.

Update from the Early Career Psycho-Oncology Professionals (ECPP) Committee, from Kirsten Douma

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:31:55 GMT

After hosting several successful activities, such as the mentor-mentee lucheon, poster presentation session and a symposium, at the IPOS conference in Washington DC, the ECPP Committee is now preparing ourselves for the 2016 Dublin conference. We are planning a new interactive event to assist ECPPs with developing their work. We are also working on developing an ECPP-specific website with links to resources that will be useful to ECPPs and will further support ECPPs from limited-resource countries. We had several ECPPs apply to join the Committee and are pleased to announce Roy Willems and Sigrun Vehling as our new members.

A Short Report on the ESGO/IPOS Meeting in Nice, October 2015 by Anja Mehnert

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:29:49 GMT

Program summary:

Psycho-Oncological Support as a Joint Effort for Cancer Patients; Anja Mehnert (Germany) and Annette Hasenburg (Germany)
Cooperation of ESGO and IPOS; Vesna Kesic (Serbia) and Anja Mehnert (Germany)
Psychological distress associated with breast and ovarian cancer risk genetic testing and medical management; Anne Bredart (France)
Cancer as a disease that involves all family members; Snežana Mijalkovic (Serbia)
Mental disorders in patients with gynaecological cancers; Anja Mehnert (Germany)
Survivorship: How can we support our patients?; Annette Hasenburg (Germany)

In October 2015, the European Society of Gynecological Oncology (ESGO) hosted a joint symposium with the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) in Nice, France, titled “Psycho-Oncological Support as a Joint Effort for Cancer Patients.” The symposium was conceptualized by Maggie Watson, Vesna Kedic, Annette Hasenburg and Anja Mehnert. The symposium was chaired by Annette Hasenburg and Anja Mehnert and aimed to strengthen the co-operation between ESGO and IPOS and to intensify joint efforts in psycho-oncological patient care.

At the beginning of the meeting, this joint effort took the shape of three web-based education programs for ESGO members, presented by Vesna Kesic and Anja Mehnert. Subsequently, Anne Bredart presented findings on psychological distress related to a genetic risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Anja Mehnert reported new prevalence estimates for mental disorders among patients with gynecological tumors and Annette Hasenburg outlined current trends in survivorship research.

The symposium was well-received by the audience. The joint work will be continued by the task force constituted by IPOS as well as ESGO members and led by Annette Hasenburg. A call for participation in this task force was voiced to both societies.

A joint event is planned to take place at the 2016 IPOS congress in Dublin.

The 30th Anniversary of IPOS

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:23:23 GMT

Outlined by David W. Kissane (for the IPOS Council of Past Presidents)

At its 16th World Congress of the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) held in Lisbon, Portugal, the IPOS Council of Past Presidents (CPP) led a plenary presentation that set out to celebrate the first 30 years of our society and discipline.

As Chair of the CPP, David Kissane welcomed nine of the ten prior Presidents to the podium and explained that the session was developed to tell the life story of IPOS as seen through the eyes of its past presidents. Two lines of continuity were followed in parallel – the first was the growth of the discipline, unpacking the state of the science that had been unfolding in recent decades, while the second was the story of the growth of the society itself. This account is reproduced here for the historical record.

The early beginnings

Jimmie Holland, as Foundation President, began by describing the early work of Loma Feigenberg at Stockholm’s Karolinksa Hospital in the 1940s, when he began to conduct psychotherapy with the dying. His seminal book was Terminal Care: Friendship Contracts with Dying Cancer Patients [L Feigenberg, 1980]. (https://goo.gl/2D3IGI)

In the 1950s, Arthur Sutherland at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York led seminal studies of patients managed by colostomy and mastectomy, and described the impact of leukemia treatment on the patient and their family.

Thanatology further developed in the 1960s with Avery Weisman’s study at the Massachusetts’s General Hospital in Boston, known as Project Omega, and culminating in the book, On Dying and Denying: A Psychiatric Study of Terminality [A Weisman, 1972] https://goo.gl/nu6BPY). From these early key centers of psychosocial study, clinical programs developed, which have been sustained at these leading institutions today.

Early conferences of those interested in psycho-oncology began to occur. For instance, in 1975, Bernie Fox convened a meeting in San Antonio. Other scholars in the United Kingdom like Tim McElwain, Keith Pettingale and Peter Maguire became generative in their scholarship. In 1977, Jimmie Holland moved to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, which had been Sutherland’s home institution. She sponsored further regular meetings in New York, and helped establish the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) in 1984. In parallel, the British Psycho-Oncology Group (later BPOS) was first formed in 1983, the American Psycho-Oncology Society met annually in conjunction with the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, and eventually the First IPOS World Congress was chaired by Robert Zittoun in France in 1992.

The epidemiology of psychiatric disorders among patients with cancer became established with the cooperative PSYCOG study led by Derogatis in 1984 (http://goo.gl/DTNIkQ) to help define patients’ clinical need [ Derogatis et al, 1984]. Lea Baider reviewed how studies of the impact of cancer on the couple and family were systematically undertaken and ultimately culminated in the book Cancer and the Family [Baider, Cooper & Kaplan De-Noor, 1996] (https://goo.gl/AKWHQs). The impact of coping, beliefs, communication and gender were steadily examined and care of the elderly patient with cancer grew naturally out of this systemic lens.

Consolidation in the 1990s

Meanwhile, consolidation of the discipline was further heralded by journals like the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology (1983, editor Zabora) and Psycho-Oncology (1991, editors Holland & Watson).The Handbook of Psychooncology (1989, eds Holland & Rowland) (https://goo.gl/WBJfBL )heralded the later textbook of Psycho-Oncology (3rd Ed 2015). The second IPOS World congress was held in Kobe, Japan in 1995, only months after an earthquake had affected the area. Congresses settled into an early biannual pattern, in New York (1996), Hamburg (1998) and Melbourne (2000). News of the Society was regularly transmitted from Dr Holland’s office by the ever willing Mr Toni Manchini in the form of IPOS Newsletters.

Uwe Koch described how coping research had been strong in psycho-oncology, with movement beyond examination of stressors to consideration of coping styles, as well as individual and social resources. Further qualitative research into coping was needed to make sense of the complexity as disease progression occurred and cumulative challenges continued to tax the individual with cancer.

The 4th World Congress was held in Hamburg in 1998 and Hiromi Kawano from Kobe Japan was honored with the Arthur Sutherland award for his early leadership in Japan. Dr Margit von Kerekjarto was an early President of IPOS from Germany (1988-1990) and she worked to integrate psycho-oncology into the German Cancer Society. We honor her today as a deceased past president.

The ability of the mind and interventions like group therapy to extend survival became one exciting academic focus toward the end of the last century. Replication trials of supportive-expressive group therapy (Spiegel et al, 1989) failed however to show any survival advantage. David Kissane explained how these studies had high rates of married participants, likely to be well supported socially, whereas poorer survival is identified in single, isolated and depressed patients. Clinical programs have expanded considerably from the impetus that many of these group therapy studies generated.

IPOS established a set of awards for the discipline: The Sutherland Award for lifetime contribution, The Fox Award for research excellence, The Fisman Award for clinical leadership and The Kawano Award for early career scholarship. Discussion of annual congresses and educational academies emerged early in the 21st century as a professional management company, led by Elliott Graham, was brought in to manage the affairs of IPOS.

The New Millennium

Social myths, such as that stress, personality traits or depressed mood cause cancer, led to an important body of epidemiological work based at the Danish Cancer Society, which used linkages between national data bases to design cohort studies that have laid a solid body of evidence arguing that the mind does not cause cancer. Christoffer Johansen pointed to how critical this knowledge is to empower clinicians to protect patients from guilt and self-blame when cancer is diagnosed. Behavioral science has also made great progress in cancer control, exemplified by smoking cessation, preventive cancer screening programs and attention to poorer clinical outcomes in underserved communities.

The IPOS Educational Academies were established in conjunction with annual World Congresses as a means for international experts to train clinicians in evidence-based interventions and scientific issues that would further the development of the discipline. These flourished following the Copenhagen (2004) and Venice (2006) Congresses. An application was commenced for IPOS to be recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an official Non-Government Organization (NGO) working to promote psychosocial cancer care. It took a full decade for this NGO status to be recognized by the WHO in 2014.

One means for psycho-oncology to influence the whole of cancer care has been through communication skills training (CST), which was well developed for Europe by scholars such as Peter Maguire, Darius Razavi and Lesley Fallowfield, amid many others. Whether breaking bad news, discussing prognosis or end-of-life care, CST has been a major pathway to promote humanistic care with empathy and due attention to psychosocial and cultural needs.

The IPOS Federation was formed in 2006 by Luigi Grassi to bring together what are currently 28 national psycho-oncology societies from 26 countries into a unified voice. This empowers attention to standards of care and the development of the discipline so that all cancer patients and their families throughout the world receive optimal psychosocial care at all stages of disease and survivorship. An on-line curriculum in eight languages was sponsored by the European School of Oncology.

As studies of coping with cancer unfolded, the contribution of meaning to the adaptation of the patient with cancer became clearer, and this spawned the development of newer models of psychotherapy, which aim to grow a person’s sense of meaning and purpose. The adaptation of psychotherapy interventions to optimally suit the patient with cancer has represented a major stream of unfolding science across these decades.

The familial basis of many cancers highlights the psychosocial challenges associated with cancer prevention, screening, genetic testing and prophylactic surgeries. Psycho-oncology has delivered care alongside clinical genetics service to promote optimal adaptation as patients come to terms with their risk status.

Recent Times

The IPOS Human Rights Task Force was established by William Breitbart to advance the cause that psychosocial cancer care is a basic human right. A declaration about this human right was adopted at the 16th World Congress in Lisbon.

IPOS also became a partner organisation of the UICC and with Jeff Dunn (Secretary of IPOS) elected to the UICC council, we are working together to improve global cancer care.

IPOS Press was established by Maggie Watson as a publishing arm for IPOS to further advance the dissemination of knowledge about the discipline. The IPOS Handbook of Psychotherapy in Cancer Care (2011, eds Watson & Kissane) (https://goo.gl/NdXMtz ) became one illustration of the emerging role of IPOS Press. As IPOS matured, its governance was steadily moved from an early group of pioneers to a society run by an elected board, with a range of subcommittees sharing the work across countries. An international community of psychosocial care providers has truly emerged and IPOS has launched a program of sponsored educational academies being delivered in countries like India, Russia and Nigeria to grow the mission of psychosocial cancer care.

The effort to ensure that psychosocial care does reach patients with cancer and their families led to guideline development, distress screening and service development programs, with tiered models of care provision. Making distress the sixth vital sign after pain was championed by Barry Bultz and has been adopted by many countries to ensure that patients’ needs are recognized. Survivorship care and preventive behavioral interventions to optimize lifestyle change are further examples of the reach and maturation of psycho-oncology as a discipline.

The future

The future of IPOS is a confident and solid one, based on its steady and ever maturing growth across these past three decades. The recognition by the WHO of IPOS as an NGO aided our celebration of IPOS’s first 30 years in Lisbon at its 16th World Congress. We are a truly international society, whose vision and mission are on track, as the still relatively young discipline of psycho-oncology consolidates its important contribution to cancer care.

Balancing Popularity and Evidence: Mindfulness in Cancer Care

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:22:12 GMT

Mindfulness based interventions for cancer patients has received great attention in the last decade (a 30% average yearly increase of records in PubMed since 2013). During 2015 at least 5 reviews or meta-analyses have been published. As Rouleau, Garland and Carlson state that such growing “popularity must be balanced against scientific evidence” (https://www.dovepress.com/the-impact-of-mindfulness-based-interventions-on-symptom-burden-positi-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-CMAR). In any case, a recent meta-analysis seems to confirm the promising results in reducing anxiety and depression in cancer patients (http://journals.lww.com/md-journal/pages/articlereviewer.aspx?year=2015&issue=11110&article=00002&type=abstract)

The Importance of Age-appropriate Intervention

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:19:25 GMT

During 2015 a few guidelines and meta-analyses have attempted to revise the standards of interventions with children and adolescents. On the one hand, an American study reviewed the existing standards and guidelines for psychosocial care of children (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.3589/abstract). The authors of this study have also published the revised APOS-IPOS quick reference book on “Pediatric Psycho-Oncology” (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/pediatric-psycho-oncology-9780199335114?cc=it&lang=en&). On the other hand, a European meta-analysis evaluated the psychosocial interventions for adolescents and young adults (http://www.croh-online.com/article/S1040-8428%2815%2900069-4/abstract). They all stress the importance of further research in this special population.

The role of Psycho-Oncology in Cancer Prevention

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:18:05 GMT

The Psycho-Oncology Journal has published an open-access special issue on the role of psycho-oncology in supporting the cancer prevention programmes and practices (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.v24.10/issuetoc).

The editors and all the authors assume that the role of psycho-oncology is supported by the basic assumptions of organizations as WHO on wellbeing and health promotion. “Contemplating that psycho-oncology is essential to the development of evidence-based behavioural interventions necessary for effective cancer control planning, the authors challenge the reader with a resounding call to arms” (Dunn, Adams, Holland, Watson, 2015, p. 1221).

New IPOS publication on depression measures in cancer, from IPOS Research Committee, contributed by Claire Wakefield

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:15:04 GMT

We are pleased to highlight a new publication written on behalf of the IPOS Research Committee. During the Research Committee meeting at the Rotterdam World Congress, the Committee identified a need for additional guidance for psycho-oncology researchers surrounding the selection of patient-reported measures for use in cancer patients and survivors. The Committee collaborated throughout 2013 and came to a consensus that depression was the first priority issue surrounding measurement selection in psycho-oncology. The Committee agreed to adopt a meta-review design to review all reviews of patient-reported depression measures in cancer published in the last 15 years. At the Lisbon World Congress, the Committee agreed on final refinements to the design of the study, which was then conducted and written, by Dr Claire Wakefield with the support of Professors Phyllis Butow, Neil Aaronson, Thomas Hack, Nicholas Hulbert-Williams and Paul Jacobsen. The meta-review was recently published in the Lancet Psychiatry. With its publication, the Research Committee hopes to ensure that investigators are using the best performing measures, to encourage consistency across data collection and reporting, and to create future opportunities for cross-study comparisons.

The full text of the article is available on the IPOS website (for IPOS members only), or at the following link: View Link

European Guide for Quality National Cancer Control Plans, from Luzia Travado

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:12:27 GMT

This Guide produced under the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC), is supported by the European Commission, and includes a chapter on Psychosocial Oncology Care. The inclusion of this chapter in this policy document is a victory for European Psycho-Oncology quest in which IPOS President Luzia Travado has been involved and has been lobbying for since 2006. Now IPOS Federated Societies in Europe can push forward and lobby with national cancer organizations to have this document translated into improved national policies to achieve the objective of reducing the burden of cancer in Europe and improving cancer care for all citizens.

View PDF

International Psycho-Oncology Society IPOS xChange

INTRODUCING PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE IN ONCOHEMATOLOGY IN RUSSIA – Contribution by Dr. Sergei Khrushchev

PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE IN ONCOHEMATOLOGY IN RUSSIA

Interview with Phyllis Butow: Conquer Fear Study

1. Can you briefly introduce “Conquer Fear study”?

2.How common is fear of cancer recurrence among cancer survivors? Is this only matter for long-term survivors? Are there more vulnerable patients (cancer type, age, family history, mental health)? How about patients diagnosed at advanced stage?

3. How do you measure FCR? Is there any simple way to assess FCR? How often or when do you need to assess FCR? What would you recommend health professionals at clinic to assess FCR?

4.There are many components in your intervention. What do you think the most beneficial to survivors? If you need to choose one, what would you recommend health professionals to try with low resource (no psychiatrist, less time)?

5.What do you think are the gaps and barriers/challenges for managing FCR in current cancer care system? How should try to resolve them?

6.What is your future plan regarding research and practice at FCR?

7.Any message to cancer survivors experiencing FCR?

Preview of IPOS 2018 Hong Kong

Inside Awareness: CDC Gynecological Cancer Campaign

Home Remedies for Anxiety

SIOG 2018 Annual Conference

Lonnie is Going to Lose his Tongue

ESMO 2018 Congress

MASSC/ISO 2018 Annual Meeting

ESMO Preceptorship on Immuno-Oncology 2018

20th International Psycho-Oncology Society World Congress of Psycho-Oncology

In Memoriam: Andrea Farkas Patenaude, PhD Lori Wiener & Claire Wakefield

Jimmie C. Holland, MD, Founder of the Field of Psycho-oncology William Breitbart

Addressing Pertinent Questions: Andrea Patenaude’s Point of View

1) “I don't want to take chances.”: A qualitative exploration of surgical decision making in young breast cancer survivors.

2) Maternal perceptions of BRCA genetic counseling communication processes about disclosing cancer risk information to children and adult relatives.

Emphasizing Care in Cancer Care: Jimmie Holland’s Point of View

1) Physical Symptom Burden and Its Association With Distress, Anxiety, and Depression in Breast Cancer Physical Symptom Burden and Its Association With Distress, Anxiety, and Depression in Breast Cancer.

2) Prevalence of physical problems detected by the distress thermometer and problem list in patients with breast cancer.

Introduction

Call for contributors to IQ NEWS

IPOS-WHO Training Academy in Kigali, Rwanda

Andrea Patenaude: Retirement

New IPOS Communications Committee!

We wish IPOS members a Wonderful Holiday Season with time to reflect upon and appreciate the important work that you do. All the best for a Peaceful and Productive 2017!

Introduction

The best-selling story of Henrietta Lacks

Research grants for 2017 to be available soon

Upcoming Conferences and Courses

1 - Psycho-pharmacology in Cancer Care course, 29 October

2 - UICC World Cancer Congress at the Palais des Congrès de Paris in France, 31 October – 3 November

3 - Asia-Pacific Psycho-Oncology Network Meeting, 10 - 12 November 2016

4 - Psycho-Oncology New Zealand conference, November 24-26

Association of Oncology Social Work 32nd Annual Conference, Florida USA, May 2016

Let’s celebrate!

The Psycho-Oncology Society of Kenya (POSK) is finally registered

The Psycho-Oncology Society of Kenya (POSK) is finally registered, report from Philip Odiyo (Chairman, POSK) & Hellen Waithaka (Secretary General, POSK)

Report: African Psycho-oncology Association [APOA] Conference

Brief Report on the IPOS Academy at the Inaugural African Psycho-oncology Association [APOA] Conference and Sixth Psycho-oncology Society of Nigeria [POSON] National Conference and Workshop 25-29th July 2016, Calabar, Nigeria, report from Chioma Asuzu.

Introducing the IPOS 2016 World Congress in Dublin, Maria Die Trill, the new IPOS Vice-President/President elected

The ongoing quest for managing cancer distress

Cigarette smoking and other risky behaviors among survivors of adolescent cancer

The obesity paradox and the benefit of physical activity

IPOS now a member of European Cancer Organisation (ECCO)

Psychosocial aspects of cancer care included in recommendations for revised Global Curriculum (GC) guidelines of ESMO/ASCO

Welcome back to IQ-News - June 2016 Issue

IPOS QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER (IQ-NEWS)

June 2016 Issue

Socio-Economic Status (SES) and Cancer Care

Establishing psycho-oncology care in Africa – a little background and some current events

Trends and Advances in Cancer Care

IQ-News Survey on IPOS Members’ Needs

Facing Life and Facing Death

Grants and funding available

Bultz named Daniel Family Leadership Chair in Psychosocial Oncology

IPOS Treasurer Dr. Anja Mehnert Awarded

Training courses

The Destiny of the War against Cancer

New award instituted

Recently Published Guidelines

Completed conferences

Is homeopathy something more than placebo?

Is homeopathy something more than placebo?

The Healthy Role of our Lifestyle

Upcoming Professional congresses

IPOS Quarterly Newsletter (IQ-News) - December 2015 Issue

Our Vision

Editors

Up to Date

Let’s Talk

IPOS4You