2016 President's Plenary International Psycho-Oncology Society: challenges and opportunities for growing and developing psychosocial oncology programmes worldwide

Abstract

Consistent with the International Psycho-Oncology Society's (IPOS) vision and goals, we are committed to improving quality cancer care and cancer policies through psychosocial care globally. As part of IPOS's mission, upon entering "Official Relations" for a second term with the World Health Organization (WHO), IPOS has dedicated much attention to reaching out to countries, which lack formalized psychosocial care programmes. One of IPOS's strategies to accomplish this goal has been to bring psycho-oncology training programmes to low- and middle-income countries and regions. To this end, the IPOS Board approved a new position on the Board of Directors for a member from a low- to middle-income country (LMIC). The IPOS 2016 President's Plenary focused on challenges and opportunities that exist in growing and developing psychosocial oncology programmes worldwide. The plenary presentations highlight how IPOS and WHO have aligned their goals to help LMICs support cancer patients as an essential element of cancer and palliative care. IPOS country representatives are strongly supported in liaising with national health authorities and with WHO Country Representatives in LMICs. The plenary speakers discussed the role IPOS Federation has taken in building a global network of psychosocial leaders and the impact this had in assisting LMICs in meeting IPOS's psychosocial care objectives. The plenary highlighted the challenges of expanding psychosocial reach into these countries. One significant question remains: Can psychosocial guidelines be adapted to LMICs and regions?

High-Risk Adult Wilms’ Tumour in Pregnancy: A Case Report

“…The presence of psychological distress has been associated with disease progression or relapse, reduced quality-of-life, impaired social relationships, increased risk of suicide, longer rehabilitation time, poor adherence to treatment and shorter survival30,35–37. It is for this reason that distress and psychological support have been designated as a sixth vital sign and human right in cancer patients respectively38,39.…”

“…Management of pregnancy-associated cancer is difficult due to lack of robust evidence, paucity of established treatment guidelines and complexity of considerations including beneficence obligations of clinicians to the mother and foetus28,4–43. Care for these patients in resource limited settings is also challenged due to availability of: (I)access to care, (II)diagnostic services, (III) treatment and (IV) personnel for interdisciplinary care10,39,44– 47 . Thus patients are likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease and experience delays in starting treatment; with consequential poor survival.…”

Global trends of researches on pycho-oncology during 1999-2019: A 21-year bibliometric study based on VOSviewer

“…However, over last two decades, gained lots of experience, guidance and strengthened support from the scholars of developed countries, low-and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, such as Mainland China, India, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil and so on have developed their own working groups or societies in the field of psycho-oncology [24][25][26]. In 2006 Jimmie Holland was invited to Mainland China to join in the preparation work of building Chinese Psychosocial Oncology Society (CPOS) and give academic lecture to Chinese colleagues [23,27].…”

Psychiatric and psychosocial implications in cancer care: the agenda of psycho-oncology

“…The collaboration between the associations of oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, anaesthesiologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, have determined over the past years the implementation of guidelines on psychosocial care in cancer in many different parts of the world and within the national cancer plans of many countries (Grassi et al ., 2012; Wagner et al ., 2013; Andersen et al ., 2014; Butow et al ., 2015; Howell et al ., 2015). Recommendations regarding screening, assessment and intervention to psychiatric and psychosocial disorders across the trajectory of cancer are therefore considered mandatory in every cancer centre, institute, hospital and community services, including primary care, in order to warrant the quality of life of any individual, who has the right to receive optimal care, with all components of the health care system explicitly incorporating attention to psychosocial needs (Rubin et al ., 2015; Travado et al ., 2017 a , 2017 b ). Social inequalities however still exist, in part because of the lack of resources in several areas of the world as well as the significant economic constraints within the health systems of many other countries (Grassi et al ., 2016), including in Europe (Travado et al ., 2017 a , 2017 b ).…”

“…Recommendations regarding screening, assessment and intervention to psychiatric and psychosocial disorders across the trajectory of cancer are therefore considered mandatory in every cancer centre, institute, hospital and community services, including primary care, in order to warrant the quality of life of any individual, who has the right to receive optimal care, with all components of the health care system explicitly incorporating attention to psychosocial needs (Rubin et al ., 2015; Travado et al ., 2017 a , 2017 b ). Social inequalities however still exist, in part because of the lack of resources in several areas of the world as well as the significant economic constraints within the health systems of many other countries (Grassi et al ., 2016), including in Europe (Travado et al ., 2017 a , 2017 b ).…”