Commentary
The Second Asian Breast
Cancer Survivor's Symposium, co-organized by OOTR and Kansai Nihon
Turkey Society, was successfully held on December 7, 2008 in Osaka
City University of Medicine, Japan. The theme of the symposium was
on "Partnership between Patients and Doctors". Professor Hirakawa,
Dr. Takashima and Professor Toi spoke on Cancer Epidemiology in
Japan, Surgical Treatment, and Pharmacological Treatment at present
and in future respectively. Patient's representatives from Korea,
Turkey, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan also shared present situations
of cancer patient support group in their countries. A member from
Yin Hong Club was invited as the representative from Hong Kong.
The panel discussion session in the symposium provided a platform
for interactive dialogue between doctors and patients on the ways
of partnership and the importance of cancer patient support group.
In recent years, there
is increasing cancer incidence worldwide as well as in Japan which
makes cancer treatment an unmet need in medicine. Minimally invasive
treatment, palliative care and surgical chemotherapy become the
focus of development in cancer therapeutics nowadays. Surgical treatment
is still the major treatment for breast cancer patients while breast
conserving therapy is increasingly exceeding mastectomy for the
resection of breast tumor. With the advancement of surgery, sentinel
lymph node biopsy and radiofrequency ablation for breast malignancies
could minimize the complication caused by traumatic operation. Apart
from surgical treatments, pharmacological therapy plays an important
role to combat invasive breast cancers. Rapid development in Molecular
Biology has translated the discovery of cancer biomarkers into a
more precise pathological classification and the development of
targeted therapy. The evolution has shifted the treatment modality
from extensive chemotherapy to individualized therapy.
The success of therapy
is not only attributed to the advanced surgical and pharmacological
treatments offered by doctors, but also contributed by a good relationship
between doctors and patients. While a doctor plays a crucial role
as a treatment provider, an information giver and broker, psycho-social
supporter was as important for a patient who was diagnosed breast
cancer. Owing to the heavy clinical duty, doctors may not be able
to spend as much time as they would like on counseling which is
of particular importance for a breast cancer patient. To fill the
gap and to build the partnership between doctors and patients, a
cancer patient support group is essential in providing patients
another channel to receive information about pre-treatment, on-treatment
and post-treatment cares. Activities organized by support group
could also improve the social and psychological well-being for cancer
patient and provide another opportunity for doctors to communicate
with patients in a less formal way.
Adrian
Yip & Eleanor Ong
Organisation for Oncology and Translatioanl Research
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