The International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) will be celebrating its 30th anniversary at the 16th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology and Psychosocial Academy being held in Lisbon, Portugal from October 20-24, 2014. The Congress will feature a plenary session with nine past presidents, whose terms spanned many significant milestones in the development of psycho-oncology around the world.
“The mission of IPOS is to promote global excellence in psychosocial care of people affected by cancer,” said Luzia Travado, IPOS Vice-President and Chair of the 16th World Congress. “This year, IPOS will be celebrating its 30th anniversary and admission into official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). In honor of these important milestones, and many others achieved over the last 30 years, we invite participants to join the conversation and make our 2014 Annual Congress very much action oriented.”
Major Milestones
In addition to counting 7,000 federated members in 25 national societies around the world and recent developments with the World Health Organization (WHO), IPOS also saw its recommendations accepted in 2013, when the International Union for Cancer Control (UICC) called for universally available distress management services in Target 8 of the World Cancer Declaration. Other significant milestones include:
- Establishment of Distress as the 6th Vital Sign, after temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and pain, which is now endorsed by 75 organizations around the world
- Creation of the distress thermometer, a cost-effective distress screening tool with universal applicability
- Establishment of Psychosocial Cancer Care as a Human Right, which will culminate in a declaration and motion at the World Congress in Lisbon
- Creation of the journal, Psycho-Oncology, published by Wiley-Blackwell
- Application of psycho-oncological research to define cancer-related distress and enable the codification of distress screening and management in advanced clinical care models
- Development and implementation of psychosocial academies for professionals in low- and middle-income countries
- Fostering psychosocial oncology care in Europe and development of training programs in Eastern Europe in collaboration with the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC)
- Collaboration on policy around lifestyle and behavioral factors in cancer control with the NCD Alliance, whose mission is to combat the noncommunicable disease epidemic.
“The presidents of IPOS would like to commend cancer programs around the world for their efforts to provide whole patient care, including mandatory screening and treatment of emotional distress,” said Barry D. Bultz, MD, President of IPOS.
For more information on the World Congress, visit www.ipos2014.com. ■
