Improving Oncology Worldwide

Front matter

% | SPRINGER NATURE SDG: 3 aS | Sustainable Development Goals Series Good Health and Well-being improving Oncology Worldwide

Education, Clinical Research and Global Cancer Care

[OPEN ACCESS. 5) springer

Preface

Acknowledgments

People

Thank you to all the authors and discussants for your contributions during the meeting and for writing your chapters. We made it!

This book would not be possible without the support of our infrastructure, the Advanced Oncology core team and its present members, Ms. Bettina Wabitsch, Ms. Ursula Russo, and Mr. Sebastian Dannenberg, and the Division of Learning and Teaching, particularly its head, Dr. Claudia Grab-Kroll, but also all the other lovely people involved in e-education and educational research.

The Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm has supported the study program right from the beginning, through the years and continues to do so. I am particularly grateful to Prof. Hartmut Döhner, Prof. Thomas Seufferlein and Prof. Stephan Stilgenbauer for their unwavering support and contributions. I am at least equally indebted to Ms. Colette Meister for her work, insight, and help.

A big thank you to the administrators of the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD), Ms. Leokadia Staffa and Ms. Arngard Leifert, for being at my disposal whenever I had a question.

I want to thank the people of Springer Nature for guiding me through the publishing process, particularly Ms. Antonella Cerri and Ms. Niveka Somasundaram.

Funding Body

The funds for publishing this book were attributed to the study program by the DAAD.

Improving Oncology Worldwide is unique in that it describes strategies and experiences of highly skilled professionals in improving oncology care worldwide. The contributors have studied at Ulm University in the past and have had exposure to the ESMO/ASCO global curriculum in oncology or are part of Ulm University faculty.

The book is structured into three parts with several chapters each, reflecting the individual experiences. It covers ways to improve oncology education and scientific training, how do we set up and run a clinical research facility ethically and efficiently, but mostly it addresses the challenges that the workforce encounters in the real world. It addresses real-world oncologists all over the world and their allies throughout the associated industries.

One possible solution to meet the growing demand in oncology education is to provide e-learning or blended learning. Science education and good scientific practice are other aspects. How to set up medical training in a low- or middle-income setting so that all parties will be satisfied with the outcome?

Clinical research in the field of oncology is currently in full bloom due to the coming of age of targeted therapies as well as the advent of immune therapy. Experiences in setting up relevant infrastructures in low- and middle-income settings are being shared as well as the experiences from the “other” side, high-income settings, and the pharmaceutical industry. The contributions strive to demonstrate how to perform good science in low- and middle-income settings.

The main challenge remains the daily patient care of the oncologist. Needs differ for patients and physicians depending on the factors like peace, social and gender equality. The main challenges of today’s oncologists seem to be the ever-growing patient care and administrative workload and the risk of burn-out. What are the best strategies to maintain a healthy work-life for the benefit of the patients, the physicians, and society?

Based on single contributions by alumni and faculty of the study program, the three parts contain summarizing articles. The authors of these chapters bring the single contributions to the next level by drawing conclusions about the projects presented and the ensuing discussions among the participants of the meeting. In other words, even though the different contributions will be aimed at particular targets of the presenter’s own experience, the main aim of this entire book is to draw conclusions that are valid beyond the setting of an alumni workshop and that line out areas of need for further improvement in addition to the solutions introduced already.

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Contents

PartI Education

Mirosława Piiskiilltioglu

Uta Schmidt-Straiburger