ESMO Guides for Patients are designed to assist patients, their relatives and caregivers to better understand the nature of different types of cancer and to empower them when discussing the available treatment choices, side-effects and the different steps in care.
The patient guides translate complex medical information into a language understood by patients. The medical information is based on the ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines, which are designed to assist medical oncologists in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients with different cancer types and conditions.
Since 2014, ESMO has collaborated on the patient guides with the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) based on a Memorandum of Understanding.
To date, oncology nurses appointed by EONS have participated in the review of twelve patient guides, ten of which are currently online:
- Follicular Lymphoma
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Soft Tissue Sarcomas
- Bone Sarcoma
- Glioma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Immunotherapy-related side effects and their management
The new versions of prostate and pancreatic cancers guides are currently under production.
ESMO would like to thank Anita Margulies, BSN, RN, for organising the work of the EONS contributors and participating in the review of the above titles, along with the following oncology nurses for their valuable help reviewing the guides:
Jane Beveridge, BSc Hons, MSc
Lise Bjerrum Thisted, Kræftrehabiliteringssygeplejerske, SD, MKS
Patricia Bosman, MSc
Orejeta Diamanti, RN
Deborah Fenlon, Professor of Nursing
Matthew Fowler, RN Dip HE, BNurs, PG Cert
Jorge Freitas, RN, MSc
Villa Giulia, RN, MSN, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Julie Hewitt, RGN, BSc
Ada Kinneally, Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Roisin Lawless, RGN, P.g Dip Oncology Nursing
Michelle Lewington, MSc, BSc (Hons) RN
Anita Margulies, BSN, RN
Mary Tanay, RN, MSc
Erik Van Muilekom, MANP, OCN, RN
Tanya Voitiekute, Senior Macmillan Oncology CNS
Hanneke Zwinkels, RN, MA ANP
ESMO hopes that the collaboration will continue into the future, for the benefit of those in need of such information.