Delivery of Care
Delivering cancer care during the pandemic: lessons from the ‘first wave’
“My partner had to be admitted to hospital with neutropenia earlier on in her treatment cycle, and she and I are constantly discussing what to do: whether we should ask about suspending treatment, how the risk/benefit equation adds up, whether…
Raed Al Dieri: Taking pathology from bit part to key player on the European oncology scene
The man steering the organisation dubbed “the leading force in European pathology” is not one to dwell on the negative. Raed Al Dieri, Director General of the European Society of Pathology (ESP), is an internationalist but also a proud Syrian.…
Will artificial intelligence revolutionise cancer therapeutics and care?
The first machine learning application in healthcare was approved by the FDA as recently as 2019 to analyse MRI images of the heart. In oncology, applications that make use of artificial intelligence (AI) are appearing thick and fast, from improving…
Prognostic biomarkers: could they help doctors, patients and families to better navigate the end of life?
“We had to explain that the reason she had broken her hip was because she was getting weaker and essentially dying… At that stage knowing whether Mum had days or months left would have been an important factor.” Helen Waddell,…
Rare cancer care: Are European Reference Networks delivering on the promise?
What value can collaboration between EU member states add to the quality of care accessible to all EU citizens? It’s a question that has become urgent and topical with the coronavirus pandemic, and one that EU4Health, the EU’s new funding…
Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients
In the COVID-19 era, oncologists all over the world have changed their schedules and daily routine practice according to recommendations from cancer professional associations, prioritising care of the most aggressive tumours and cancelling or postponing non-essential tests and screenings. Moreover,…
MDT meetings: why patient care suffers if I’m not there
In a disease as complex as cancer it seems the most logical way to ensure uniform standards of high quality care for all patients. Team meetings can also offer opportunities for education, provide a way to increase the number of…
Women make great surgeons, so why is the profession still dominated by men?
Professor Isabel Rubio is a surgeon at the top of her profession. She is Director of Breast Surgery at Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Madrid. She is President-elect of the European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA) and head of public…