- Email: [email protected]
Greece: Status of cancer pain and palliative care
8 No. 6 August I993
Kyriaki
Mystakidou,
rJniversity
MD
ofAthens-Are&ion
Hospital, Department
ofRadiology.
In 1989, oncologists, radiotherapists, and nurses at the University of Athens-Areteio Hospital started the first cancer pain relief and palliative care unit in Greece. Over a period of time, we have provided services to more than 2000 cancer patients from all over Greece. Of these patients, 90% have been treated at home until death. In 1990, the author was selected by the World Health Organiration (WHO) and the European Association L’r Palliative Care (EAPC) as their representive in Greece. The University Hospital Areteion became the focal point in Greece’s involvement in the WHO Cancer Pain Relief and Palliative Care program. From 1991 until the present, formal time has been allotted to cancer pain relief and palliative -are in the medical students’ oncology courses. The specialty of radiation oncology includes course work in palliative care. The Hellenic Association for cancer pain relief and palliative care was also established in 1991. One year later, we held the First Hellenic Congress of Palliative Care in Athens with over including doctors, nurses, 300 participants, and other health care workers from all over Greece. In 1992, the first cancer pain relief and palliative care foundation was established in Greece. This foundation, which is economically supported from donations, aims 10 sup Address reprint requests to: Kyriaki Mysakidou,
MD, University of Athens-Areteion Hospital, Department of Radiology, 76 Vas. Sophias Avenue, Athens,
Greece.
Q U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 1993 Published by Elsevier. New York, New York
Athens, Greece
port our attempts to create cancer pain relief and palliative care units and suboffices in other hospitals all over Greece. This year, our first university cancer pain relief and palliative care unit was founded. This academic unit is scheduled to provide a full-time service, including a standard number of beds for cancer patients who need palliative care. We have also tried to enlarge our home care services and now also have elaborate educational pre grams. General practitioners who wish to be trained (continuing education) for a period of time in cancer pain relief and palliative care will work at some selected provincial medical centers; this will create and organize our first provincial home care network and branch oEces. Doctors whose specialty is related tcI cancer (oncologists, radiologists, radiotherqats, and so on) and nurses will have access to continuing education in this area. Support in this effort has come from a booklet written by the author, which has now been distributed to all Greek doctors. The author also participates in proa-iding information to the mass media concerning palliative care ser*Ices. Until now, Greek provinces have been deprived of both palliative care and home care services. Recently, however, Thesalo:lika developed two pain and palliative care ventures that can hardly carry out their heavy duty. In Athens, our university unit and two oncologic hospitals provide all home care services to the population. The difficulties that we are facing in our country are big, particularly economically. We have the spirit and the courage, and we hope that we will overcome the 4ifliculties and succeed in our efforts.
0555_3924/93/P6
00
Kyriaki
Mystakidou,
rJniversity
MD
ofAthens-Are&ion
Hospital, Department
ofRadiology.
In 1989, oncologists, radiotherapists, and nurses at the University of Athens-Areteio Hospital started the first cancer pain relief and palliative care unit in Greece. Over a period of time, we have provided services to more than 2000 cancer patients from all over Greece. Of these patients, 90% have been treated at home until death. In 1990, the author was selected by the World Health Organiration (WHO) and the European Association L’r Palliative Care (EAPC) as their representive in Greece. The University Hospital Areteion became the focal point in Greece’s involvement in the WHO Cancer Pain Relief and Palliative Care program. From 1991 until the present, formal time has been allotted to cancer pain relief and palliative -are in the medical students’ oncology courses. The specialty of radiation oncology includes course work in palliative care. The Hellenic Association for cancer pain relief and palliative care was also established in 1991. One year later, we held the First Hellenic Congress of Palliative Care in Athens with over including doctors, nurses, 300 participants, and other health care workers from all over Greece. In 1992, the first cancer pain relief and palliative care foundation was established in Greece. This foundation, which is economically supported from donations, aims 10 sup Address reprint requests to: Kyriaki Mysakidou,
MD, University of Athens-Areteion Hospital, Department of Radiology, 76 Vas. Sophias Avenue, Athens,
Greece.
Q U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 1993 Published by Elsevier. New York, New York
Athens, Greece
port our attempts to create cancer pain relief and palliative care units and suboffices in other hospitals all over Greece. This year, our first university cancer pain relief and palliative care unit was founded. This academic unit is scheduled to provide a full-time service, including a standard number of beds for cancer patients who need palliative care. We have also tried to enlarge our home care services and now also have elaborate educational pre grams. General practitioners who wish to be trained (continuing education) for a period of time in cancer pain relief and palliative care will work at some selected provincial medical centers; this will create and organize our first provincial home care network and branch oEces. Doctors whose specialty is related tcI cancer (oncologists, radiologists, radiotherqats, and so on) and nurses will have access to continuing education in this area. Support in this effort has come from a booklet written by the author, which has now been distributed to all Greek doctors. The author also participates in proa-iding information to the mass media concerning palliative care ser*Ices. Until now, Greek provinces have been deprived of both palliative care and home care services. Recently, however, Thesalo:lika developed two pain and palliative care ventures that can hardly carry out their heavy duty. In Athens, our university unit and two oncologic hospitals provide all home care services to the population. The difficulties that we are facing in our country are big, particularly economically. We have the spirit and the courage, and we hope that we will overcome the 4ifliculties and succeed in our efforts.
0555_3924/93/P6
00