The Palliative Care Working Group (PCWG) works in the field of organization, policy, research, education and the development of oncology incentive programs with the goal of fully integrating supportive and palliative care into medical oncology practice at existing healthcare facilities.

Dr. Nathan Cherny

• Defining minimum standards for the provision of supportive and palliative care by cancer centers
• Improving the level of involvement and expertise of oncologists in the delivery of supportive and palliative care to patients
• Promoting palliative care issues and initiatives worldwide

• Membership is open to Full and Junior ESMO members with particular interest in palliative care

2012	ESMO supports World Cancer Day 2012 - Essential medicines for all!
2011	A guide for patients with advanced cancer: Getting the most out of your oncologist.
2011	The World Health Organization (WHO) revised edition of the Guidance for Availability and Accessibility of Controlled Medicines supports the work of the ESMO international collaborative project on the availability and barriers to access of opioids. Nathan Cherny, Chair of the ESMO Palliative Care Working Group, comments on the importance of the WHO Guide and its relevance for medical oncologists.
2011	International collaborative project on the availability and barriers to access of opioids to cancer patients in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Project expands on original ESMO/EAPC European survey published in Annals of Oncology in March 2010.
2010	Two Palliative Care ESMO E-Learning modules "Difficult pain problems" and "Practical tips for the management of difficult pain problems"
2010	Published in the Annals of Oncology: Formulary availability and regulatory barriers to accessibility of opioids for cancer pain in Europe: a report from the ESMO/EAPC Opioid Policy Initiative
2009	Published in the Annals of Oncology: European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Program for the Integration of Oncology and Palliative Care: a 5-year review of the Designated Centers’ incentive program
2009	Revision of the 13 criteria for the ESMO Designated Centers of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care program
2007	Survey on opioid drugs
2007	Oncologist/Patient communication survey: Report published in the ESMO Newsletter
2006	Joint publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Annals of Oncology: ASCO-ESMO consensus statement on quality cancer care
2006	ESMO Handbook of Advanced Cancer Care
2003	ESMO 'Designated Center' in integrated oncology and palliative care program
2003	ESMO takes a stand on supportive and palliative care
2003	Workshop on palliative care
1999	PCWG established

NAME	COUNTRY	FUNCTION
Nathan I. Cherny	Israel	Chair
Raphael Catane	Israel	Committee Member
Martin R. Chasen	Canada	Committee Member
Alexandru-Calin Grigorescu	Romania	Committee Member
Azza Adel Hassan	Quatar	Committee Member
Marianne Kloke	Germany	Committee Member
Ian Olver	Australia	Committee Member
Ozgur Ozyilkan	Turkey	Committee Member
Gudrun Marie Ilse Pohl	Austria	Committee Member
Carla Ripamonti	Italy	Committee Member
Maryna Rubach	Poland	Committee Member
Tamari Rukhadze	Georgia	Committee Member
Dirk Schrijvers	Belgium	Committee Member
Anna-Marie Stevens	United Kingdom	Committee Member
Florian Strasser	Switzerland	Committee Member
Maria Wagnerova	Slovakia	Committee Member

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