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Introduction: ASCO-ESMO Consensus Statement on Quality Cancer Care

¹ American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA;

Håkan Mellstedt²

² European Society for Medical Oncology, Viganello-Lugano, Switzerland

On behalf of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), we are pleased to present the ASCO-ESMO Consensus Statement on Quality Cancer Care. The statement reflects the collective efforts of an international working group composed of volunteers from both ASCO and ESMO and was chaired by Heinz Ludwig, MD, of Austria, a Past President of ESMO and a 2005-2006 member of the ASCO International Affairs committee, and Tony Mok, MD, of Hong Kong, also a 2005-2006 member of the ASCO International Affairs committee.

In 2006, patients with cancer face vast global discrepancies regarding their access to healthcare services, high quality cancer care, innovative drugs, clinical trials, multidisciplinary care, pain management, palliative care, healthcare information, and access to medical records, as well as regarding respect for their dignity, privacy, confidentiality, and the quality of physician-patient relationships. These gaps in various regions of our planet result in suboptimal outcomes and care, and account for the premature or even unnecessary deaths of thousands of patients today. If every cancer patient was treated and cared for in accordance with the best standards, much suffering and dying could be prevented. Both ASCO and ESMO are aware of inequalities in cancer care, consider them unacceptable, and strive to improve the situation of millions of patients with cancer. Hence, the societies have jointly drafted a statement that defines what we presently consider to be important to protect the interests of patients with cancer and to enable them to obtain high quality cancer care.

We hope that this Consensus Statement will set the standard for the essential components of quality cancer care for policy makers, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare personnel. If widely applied, the Consensus Statement should not only improve patients' autonomy and the quality of their cancer care, but most importantly, it will also prevent unnecessary suffering and save millions of lives. If supported by the many thousands of members of ASCO and ESMO, the Consensus Statement on Quality Cancer Care will become an eminently important global initiative.

This article has been published jointly by invitation and consent in both the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Annals of Oncology. Copyright © 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology and European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission by the American Society of Clinical Oncology or the European Society for Medical Oncology.

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