International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
Topic: WCLC 2017 Synergy to Conquer Lung Cancer
Medical doctors, scientists, nurses, health professionals, government officials, partners from the industry, health advocacy groups and patients came together in order to obtain and exchange information on advances in the management of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, while considering both global and regional aspects.
Location: Yokohama Pacifico, Japan
Time: 15 – 18 October 2017
PATIENT ADVOCACY
Patient Advocacy Award
“We need more lung cancer advocates and support groups in Romania for lung cancer awareness, screening and survivorship.” Dr. Dégi
Csaba L. Dégi, PhD, MSW
Romania has one of the fastest aging populations in Eastern Europe, and cancer incidence rates for all types of cancer have been increasing there since 1990. However, cancer patients do not routinely receive psychosocial screening and support services, and qualified professionals (e.g., psychologists, social workers) are not readily available. As president of the Romanian Association for Services and Communication in Oncology (APSCO), Csaba L. Dégi, PhD, MSW, is working to improve this “major unsolved health problem.”
Dr. Dégi and his APSCO colleagues aim to transform their society’s way of thinking about cancer. They work to (a) establish psychosocial care as a universal human right, (b) support medical staff so they can provide comprehensive services, and (c) incorporate distress as the sixth vital sign. To that end, Dr. Dégi is leading a study to explore and examine cancer-related distress, communication, and quality of life in 800 adult patients in hospitals, support groups, and palliative care settings. In addition, APSCO has developed the first app to help patients and caregivers identify and monitor distress, as well as locate resources to manage it.
In addition to his efforts through APSCO, Dr. Dégi is an associate professor and researcher on the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He advocates for patients nationwide as an appointed member of the Committee for Social Work and Support in Oncology at the Romanian Ministry of Health, helping to create Romania’s National Cancer Control Plan for 2016–2020. More broadly, Dr. Dégi serves as secretary of the Central and Eastern European Society of Behavioural Medicine, based in Budapest. Internationally, he is heavily involved in the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), currently serving as a director.
Dr. Dégi has authored more than publications to further the field of social work, including contributions to the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work, and he lends his expertise to several high-impact journals as a reviewer or board member. His latest book is titled Psychosocial Oncology Needs: An Absent Voice in Romania, and he advocates for psychosocial care via Facebook, a YouTube channel, and LinkedIn.
by Keightley Amen, BA, ELS
Lung Cancer Patient Advocacy session
Attending the WCLC 2017 will help us in our fight against lung cancer, in a developing region, and will enhance advocacy efforts for lung cancer patients in Romania, where it is now an underrepresented agenda. We need more lung cancer advocates and support groups in Romania for lung cancer awareness, screening and survivorship. This world congress provides transformative science, through its inspiring presentations and workshops, and patient-focused sessions to accomplish our professional development plans for the coming years.
SPECIAL MEETING
Interview with cinematographer Jan Vozenilek
Conference program is here.
Presentation abstracts are here.
More information on this link.
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