MESSAGE FROM EONS PRESIDENT
ANDREAS CHARALAMBOUS ON COVID-19 |
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| In the few short weeks since our last newsletter, the situation regarding COVID-19 has worsened considerably and health systems across Europe and the world are struggling to deal with the enormous challenges it presents.
We want you to know that EONS’ Presidents, Board and staff stand with all of you as you do your best to look after, treat and reassure your patients at this extremely difficult time. In hospitals and health centres across Europe, many cancer nurses along with other healthcare colleagues, are having to draw on their deepest physical, mental and emotional resources. Many of us are exhausted but continue to work because our patients need us now more than ever. Working together as a multi-professional team has never been more important as we rely on and support each other to get through this crisis. A time will come, at last, when we can look back on this time and feel proud of the way we stood together, worked together, grieved together. Until then, we admire the courage and commitment you are bringing to the fight to overcome COVID-19, especially during those times when you are afraid. We send you our warmest good wishes. May you and your families stay safe and well.
*In this newsletter, you will find more information about COVID-19 and cancer nursing useful links and resources, a list of patients most at risk from COVID-19 and safety issues for you and for your patients. Plus, more on EONS’ other ongoing activities. |
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| EONS JOINS GLOBAL COVID-19 ROUNDTABLE |
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In mid-March, EONS Past President Lena Sharp took part in a high-profile, online roundtable discussion entitled ‘The Italian COVID-19 Experience’. It was live-streamed by OncoAlert Online and viewed by 21,000 people worldwide within 24 hours. Lena was joined by five other experts – Gil Morgan, Giuseppe Curigliano, Erika Hamilton, Daniele Generali and Axel Grothey. The discussion covered important questions central to how the worldwide oncology community can work together to deal with COVID-19, and the lessons that can be shared from the Italian and Chinese experience of the virus. + Watch the discussion |
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| COVID-19 AND CANCER NURSE SAFETY |
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| As a frontline health worker coming into contact with patients who may have COVID-19 or who would be especially vulnerable if they caught it, you should be provided with the full appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect your patients and yourself at all times. Organisations must have effective procedures in place to allow nursing staff and their representatives to raise any concerns in relation to equipment, policies and processes for managing COVID-19 as safely as possible. If you do not feel that the necessary safety measures are in place, speak to your line manager immediately. |
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| CANCER PATIENTS MOST AT RISK FROM COVID-19 |
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| Those who have received or are receiving certain cancer treatments are even more at risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract the COVID-19 infection. These people should be encouraged to take extra precautions to avoid becoming ill: - people undergoing active chemotherapy
- people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
- people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
- people having intensive (radical) radiotherapy for lung cancer
- people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last six months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
- people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment.
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| COVID-19 – USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES |
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ECND2020 – STRENGTHENING EQUALITY AND ACCESS
TO HEALTHCARE – 18 MAY |
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ECND2020 will be our third annual celebration of cancer nursing across Europe. 2020 is the WHO Year of the Nurse and Midwife so make sure you put 18 May in your calendar and get ready for a bumper social media campaign when we will let Europe and the whole world know about the fantastic specialised work that cancer nurses do. The ECND 2020 theme focuses on the need to address inequalities in access to good quality healthcare. This year we will be awarding two outstanding cancer nurses for their work in a special ‘ECND Strengthening Equality in Healthcare Award’ - see below. Keep an eye on the EONS website for more details coming soon about how you can get involved in ECND2020. **Special note: Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis we have made the difficult decision to cancel the ECND2020 events planned to take place in Lausanne in May but will be running the full campaign online – see you there! |
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ECND STRENGTHENING EQUALITY
IN HEALTHCARE AWARD 2020 |
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European Cancer Nursing Day 2020 falls in the WHO designated Year of the Nurse and Midwife. One of the key tenets of the WHO is Universal Health Coverage (UHC): “UHC means that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. It includes the full spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.” In order to improve universal access to good healthcare services, healthcare workers need to be, and are, addressing means and methods to reduce health inequalities. Across Europe, a range of challenges that prevent access to good quality cancer care in many countries and regions within countries perpetuate inequalities. These include nursing shortages, a lack of specialist qualifications for cancer nurses, poor safety equipment or working conditions. Ensuring access to specialised cancer nursing care for patients in every European country would go a long way to reducing health inequalities by ensuring all patients benefit from approved standards of care. We know that many cancer nurses are also engaged in different projects that aim to improve equality of access to good healthcare, or are engaged in community outreach programmes relating to cancer prevention and healthy lifestyles for example. This Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we would like to give two talented cancer nurses – who can be nominated by themselves, their co-workers, managers or friends – special awards at the EONS13 Congress in recognition for the work that they do to reduce health inequalities and increase access to universal health care. If you would like to nominate any nurses for these awards, please send an email explaining the work that they do and why they should be awarded the ECND Strengthening Equality in Healthcare Award 2020 to eons.communications@cancernurse.eu . Each winner will receive free travel, accommodation for three nights and registration to the EONS Congress in Madrid. Deadline for applications: 1 May 2020 |
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EONS13: THE FUTURE OF CANCER NURSING
IN THE YEAR OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE! |
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A decision on whether EONS13 is going ahead as a physical meeting will be made in the coming weeks. At the time of writing, we are still planning for EONS13 (19-21 September) at ESMO2020 (18-22 September) in Madrid, Spain, in September. The theme of the EONS13 Cancer Nursing Track is: The Future of Cancer Nursing in the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
The registration rate to attend is €459,80 (including VAT) – that gains you entry to all the ESMO sessions as well as the full EONS programme of speakers and events. It’s fantastic value! This year, for the first time, EONS will be offering a €84,70 registration fee (including VAT) for students and young cancer nurses under the age of 35! There will also be a limited bursary fund available for which EONS members from low- and middle-income countries will be able to apply. More information about these will be available soon. If we are not able to offer a full congress this year, we will be running a series of online activities and symposia, so save the date and watch this space! |
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| SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT FOR EONS13 |
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YOUNG RESEARCH NURSE?
WIN A FREE PLACE AT EONS13 |
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For our young research nurse colleagues, please don’t forget about the Novice Research Dissemination Award This award is open to applications from nurses with no experience of presenting their research outside their own country and less than five years’ experience of research. One award is available. The award includes funding towards travel, accommodation and the registration fee. The winner will be asked to present their results briefly at the awards session at EONS13. During the abstract process, you will need to indicate whether the abstract is submitted in association with an application for the EONS Novice Research Dissemination Award.
The deadline is 6 May, 2020.
Find out more and submit your abstract |
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| ESMO BREAST CANCER CONGRESS MOVES ONLINE |
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Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the ESMO Breast Cancer Congress will now happen in a brand new format, as the ESMO Breast Cancer Virtual Meeting: 23-24 May 2020 (not in Berlin, Germany, from 7-9 May as previously advertised). Sessions will offer opportunities for online interaction between presenters and participants who will be able to address faculty with their questions. Abstracts originally accepted for presentation at the meeting in Berlin will remain in the ESMO Breast Cancer Virtual Meeting programme and be published as a supplement to Annals of Oncology.
Gabi Knötgen, EONS Board Member and Advocacy Working Group Member, has organised a fantastic session on Needs-oriented Specialized Nursing for Breast Cancer Care Nurses. Posters will be presented in an e-format and available to view from 23 May onwards. A virtual exhibition will allow participants to learn about new products and services from stakeholders in breast cancer, whilst interacting and chatting with them.
Participation in the ESMO Breast Cancer Virtual Meeting is free and will only require a simple online registration. Delegates who had already paid their fee will be contacted by the ESMO Registration Unit for reimbursement.
Registration will be open by end of April.
More details will be published over the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
Find out more |
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| UPDATED TARGET MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE |
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target is an educational initiative that aims to give nurses a greater scientific understanding of targeted therapies including immunotherapy and other novel agents. Now, updated materials are available to EONS individual or national society members who wish to organise a target course in their own country. The third edition of the target programme is available on request in English, German and Dutch. So far 10 applications have been received. To apply, please fill in the online application form
Find out more |
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| ESO-EONS CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP GRANT – APPLY NOW |
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We are now offering another fellowship programme for cancer nurses in Europe with our partners at the European School of Oncology (ESO). The aim is to encourage the reduction of variability in outcomes of cancer care between countries, as well as within regions in each country, by giving cancer professionals the chance to experience working in multi-professional teams in accredited centres in Europe. The nurse will spend a period of time in a clinical setting specially designed to increase knowledge, improve professional development and to encourage mobility between countries. The deadline for applications is 15 May.
+ Find out more and apply |
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| SURVEY ON CARE FOR OLDER CANCER PATIENTS |
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Cancer nurses have a crucial role to play in optimising care for older adults with cancer and those close to them. However, training, resources and support is often lacking. SIOG, CANO and EONS are working together to develop an international joint position statement concerning the role of nurses in addressing age-related concerns in cancer care. We invite nurses involved in the care of older adults with cancer to join in this discussion. Please fill out this short survey: https://surveys.nursing.utoronto.ca/292999?lang=en
Find out more |
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| EASTERN EUROPE AND BALKAN MASTERCLASS |
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The call is now open for applications for the 2nd EONS Eastern Europe and Balkan Masterclass in Oncology Nursing, in Belgrade from 3-5 September 2020. The Masterclass is specifically designed to meet the educational needs of cancer nurses from Eastern Europe and the Balkan region. Three intensive days of full immersion in up-to-date cancer nursing will create a collective spirit of teaching and learning to improving clinical skills and patient care. Deadline to apply is 5 May.
+ Find out more and apply |
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| EONS RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANT 2020 – DON’T MISS IT |
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One grant of 2500€ is available for the 2020 EONS Research Travel Grant. Both novice and established researchers will be considered. The grant funds one or two visits to the host institution (including travel at economy fare, accommodation and expenses). The focus of the grant is to build capacity and capability through a period of working closely with experienced clinical and/or academic researchers in another country. The deadline to apply is 29 May 2020.
Find out more |
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| NEW IMPROVED EONS WEBSITE – COMING SOON! |
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EONS is in the process of refreshing and modernising its website – www.cancernurse.eu
The current site will undergo redevelopment and be launched on ECND2020. During this major design and build work, the site will not be updated with new information as often as usual, so please bear with us during this time as we put all our efforts into creating a wonderful new platform for all EONS members and the wider cancer nursing world. |
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| EONS MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL 2020 |
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It’s the time of year for our much-valued Society Members, Associate Members and Individual Members (with December 2019 expiry dates) to renew their membership for January to December 2020. We look forward to your renewed membership and to continuing to work together for the future of cancer nursing.
For more information and to complete the specific application form, please go to www.cancernurse.eu/membership/index.html. |
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| MAKING AI WORK BETTER FOR HEALTHCARE |
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On March 3, EONS attended a high-level policy roundtable on how European Member States can use big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing to support healthcare professionals to provide optimal cancer care for patients across Europe. Marco Marsella, Head of Unit for eHealth, Well-Being and Ageing at DG Connect in the European Commission, addressed the main needs of patients, which the Commission perceives to be access to and sharing of data across borders, and better data to advance research and focus on disease prevention by using more digital tools. Prof. Wiro Niessen from the European Society of Radiology highlighted the necessity of quality data to improve algorithm optimization methods to achieve proper validation strategies and effective integration of AI into the workforce. All attendees agreed that the current barriers we face in European policy making regarding the implementation of AI are heterogeneous data, legal interoperabilities and organisational issues which can be overcome if we generate trust and excellence in radiology data, focusing on biomarker testing and training the multi-professional teams across Europe. In this light, the European Commission recently published a White Paper on Artificial Intelligence: a European approach to excellence and trust while the Digital Europe Programme aims to mainstream AI and data computing to support healthcare systems in Member States. |
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EONS’ ACCESS TO FREE WEBINAR SERVICES
TO SHARE EXPERIENCES AND BUILD CAPACITY
FOR COVID-19 MANAGEMENT |
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EONS has joined a European Commission initiative called the “COVID-19 Clinical Management Support System” to support clinicians and nurses in hospitals that are currently facing the coronavirus emergency all over Europe. Based on the experience with the European Reference Networks, the initiative will help to create rapid connections among hospitals across Europe indicated by the Member States as reference centres for COVID-19. Clinicians can rely on a dedicated helpdesk managed by DG SANTE to set up web conferences and exchange with their peers in Europe on possible treatments, and on how to handle severe and complex cases. This synergy aims to speed up the adoption of specific treatment options and help reduce some of the uncertainties due to the unknown aspects of the virus. If you would like to make use of this service, please contact the working.groups@cancernurse.eu for the list of experts in the system and to set a connecting webinar up for you. |
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| NEW BLOOD TEST DETECTS 50 CANCERS |
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A new blood test has successfully detected more than 50 types of cancer, often before symptoms show. More than 99 per cent of positive results were accurate in a study using samples from over 1,200 people, published in the leading journal, Annals of Oncology. It is the first such test able to identify so many types of cancer – including lung, bowel, ovarian and pancreatic – and diagnose in which tissue the cancer originated, which it did with 93 per cent accuracy. Scientists are hopeful it could eventually help to diagnose tumours sooner, particularly hard-to-detect cancers and those for which no screening is available, although its success rate is currently significantly higher in more advanced cancers. Find out more |
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18-22 September 2020 / EONS13 Dates – 19 to 21 September EONS13 @ ESMO Congress Madrid, Spain REGISTER HERE 25-27 June 2020 * Postponed to 24-26 June 2021* MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting Seville, Spain 18-19 November 2020 ECCO 2020 Summit Brussels, Belgium Save the date |
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