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Announcements
From the International Brain Tumour Alliance
“BRAIN TUMOUR AWARENESS WEEK A SUCCESS – CALL FOR ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The inaugural International Brain Tumour Awareness Week, which came to a close last weekend, has been a resounding success, according to its organiser, the International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA). (Website: www.theibta.org )
“This was the first occasion that an attempt had been made to bring together the patient support, scientific research, commercial, and clinical areas of the brain tumour community worldwide,” according to Mr Denis Strangman (Australia), Chair of the IBTA.
“The Awareness Week and its associated Walk Around the World for Brain Tumours has been supported by nearly 100 organisations from 23 countries. The Walk has exceeded all expectations with the target of once around the world at the Equator being accomplished almost three times over.
“We hope that as a result there will be greater attention given to this cancer. 200,000 people worldwide are affected each year by a primary malignant brain tumour, for which the prognosis is very poor.
“Sixty percent of these people live in developing countries, many of which do not have the resources to provide an acceptable standard of care which includes – where appropriate - neurosurgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy,” Mr Strangman said.
Professor Abhijit Guha, from Canada, who is a professor of neurosurgery and Chair of the North American-based Society of Neuro Oncology has said: “Although malignant brain tumors admittedly are not a large socio-economic burden compared to infectious, respiratory and other illness on a global level, everyone does merit receiving at the very least the current standard of care, including consultation from doctors who are knowledgeable in the multi-faceted treatment of these tumors.”
According to the IBTA Chair many brain tumour patients in developing countries do not even have access to the basic medications, particularly those that are relevant to the end stages of their disease, including dexamethasone (for brain swelling), AEDs (to manage seizures), and morphine (to control pain).
“These medicines appear on the IAHPC List of Essential Medicines for Palliative Care which was developed last year by an international gathering of experts and which is currently before the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“We call on all governments to adopt this list and to work for its speedy endorsement by WHO.
“As well, we wish to see a survey undertaken by an official inter-governmental organisation of a representative sample of developing countries to identify existing standards of care for brain tumour patients and the availability of essential medicines used to treat this disease.
“While we are determined in our aim of promoting access by all brain tumour patients to the most promising new therapies, we recognise that in some countries this is not always possible which is why we call for a wider adoption of the IAHC List of Essential Medicines for Palliative Care which represents one practical way of assisting many brain tumour patients,” Mr Strangman said.”
CONTACTS AND INFORMATION
Previous media statements: http://www.theibta.org/uploads/file/MainMediaRelease1.pdf and http://www.theibta.org/uploads/file/Walks241007.pdf
Photos and reports of awareness events held may be viewed at: http://www.theibta.org/index.php?page=recent-events and http://www.theibta.org/index.php?page=more-completed-activities
Denis Strangman: Chair, International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA), Canberra, Australia.
Email – [email protected]
Telephone: +61-2-62583912
Kathy Oliver: Secretary, IBTA, Surrey, United Kingdom.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44-1737 813872
Abhijit Guha: MSc, MD, FRCS(C), FACS. Prof. Surgery (Neurosurgery), Western Hospital, Univ. of Toronto. Co- Dir. & Sr. Scientist: Arthur & Sonia Labatts Brain Tumor Center., Hospital for Sick Children, Univ. of Toronto. Alan & Susan Hudson Chair in Neurooncology.
Email: [email protected]
Ph: Clinical: + 1 416-603-5740; Lab: +1 416-813-6688; Pager: + 1 416-790-4804 Cell: + 1 647-200-9354
http://www.sickkids.on.ca/Guha/default.asp
Brain tumour patient support organisations: There are hyper-links to 49 national and local brain tumour organisations on the right-hand column of the homepage for the IBTA at www.theibta.org These organisations can provide information and comment about local situations.
The IAHPC List of Essential Medicines for Palliative Care was developed at a meeting held in Salzburg, Austria, during 2006.
More information and a copy of the List is available from this webpage:
http://www.hospicecare.com/resources/emedicine.htm
Contact: Liliana De Lima, IAHPC Executive Director
Phone:
+1 (713) 880 2940
Website: www.hospicecare.com
New WHO guide on palliative care services for people living with advanced cancer
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np31/en/index.htm
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
The recent World Hospice and Palliative Care Day sponsored by the World Palliative Care Alliance received important media coverage. Some radio programs and publications include:
Article on pain relief and palliative care particularly focusing on Ghana and Ethiopia on the BBC website
English - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7031182.stm
Arabic - http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/world_news/newsid_7031000/7031425.stm
Article on pain relief and palliative care in Latin America and an interview with Dr Roberto Wenk in Spanish: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/science/newsid_7033000/7033457.stm
Congratulations to the WPCA for this great dissemination and for being able to promote this through the BBC and other media.
The National Council for Palliative Care
“The National Council for Palliative Care is the umbrella organisation for all those who are involved in providing, commissioning and using palliative care and hospice services in England, Wales & Northern Ireland. NCPC promotes the extension and improvement of palliative care services for all people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. NCPC promotes palliative care in health and social care settings across all sectors to government, national and local policy makers.”
For more information go to: http://www.ncpc.org.uk/
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