Cancer Patient Working Group

The Cancer Patient Working Group's (CPWG) main mission is the optimization of patient care in Europe and worldwide, the continuous improvement of cancer-specific information and education, the strengthening of patient autonomy and the support of patient rights.

Activities and responsibilities

• Providing adequate information about cancer, its diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and aftercare
• Organizing meetings where patient organizations and individuals have the opportunity to express their wishes, concerns and requests
• Interacting with patients to share concerns and experiences and developing action plans for strengthening the role of patients in the oncology community
• Helping physicians and other healthcare providers to understand the specific needs of individual patients, to enhance the quality of communication and personal interaction
• Building strong coalitions between patient representative groups, cancer physicians and other healthcare providers in order to improve the quality of cancer care
• Assisting physicians in obtaining advice from specialists for rare or complex cancer cases

Structure

• Chair appointed by the ESMO Executive Committee after consultation with the previous Chair
• Members are proposed by the Chair of the CPWG to the ESMO Executive Committee for approval for a period of three (3) years and can be re-appointed

Major achievements