Psychooncology in Poland

1
Psychooncology in Poland

• Krystyna de Walden - Galuszko

2
Polish Psycho-Oncology Society since
1992.president prof. K. de Walden-Galuszkoe-ma
il galuszko_at_amg.gda.pl, galuszko_at_ptpo.org.plwebs
ite www.ptpo.org.pl

• 80 members
• 7 National Conferences (organised)
• Journal Psychoonkologia
• Publications (monographies, textbooks of
  psychooncology and tanatology, psychopaliative
  care, psychological-clinical assessment of pain,
  quality of life of cancer pts.
• 22 courses communication counselling skill
  for doctors, nurses, psychologists, hospice
  workers org. by P.P.O.S..

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Global psychooncological activity (1)

• 30 oncological units in PolandInformation
  received from 22 units

Data from 22 units 365 000 patients (pts)
19 psycho-logists
with psychooncological 15 care units 205 000
cancer pts
without psychooncological 7 care units 160 000
cancer pts
engaged 26 psycho- oncologists
7 psychia-trists
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Global psychooncological activity (2)

• Selfhelp clubs of cancer pts

Breast cancer
With help of psychologists
pts with
Stomia
Laryngectomia
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Education

• Undergraduated training
• 12 Medical Universities in Poland
• in 1 lectures on psychooncology (2 hrs)
• in 11 workshops and seminars on palliative
  medicine (8-30 hrs)including psychological and
  psychopatological problems of cancer pts. (4-12
  hrs).
• in 8 med.. univ. this topic is obligatory
• in 3 - facultative
• Postgraduated training
• CommunicationCounselling skill courses (30 hrs
  twice a year org. by Polish Psycho-Oncology
  Society)
• Simonton workshops sporadic
• Psychooncological courses (7 hrs) 1 per/ year
  for doctors specializing in oncology.
• Communication psychic disturbances of cancer
  pts (3 hrs) of lectures 2 per/year for doctors
  specializing in internal medicine.

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Researchtopics

• Psychological aspects of pain.
• Problems of burn out of hospice workers
• The impact of drugs on cognitive functions of
  cancer pts (Mf, Tramadol).
• The impact of different factors on adaptation to
  cancer disease.

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Our problems

• Few people
• No funds
• Lack of interests on psychooncology from medical
  authorities and oncologists
• Psychooncological activity based mostly on
  volunteers!
• Lack guidelines and curriculum of training

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Our task

• To prepare the guidelines for caregivers
  palliative care for the elderly cancer
  patients(in collaboration with SIOG
  International Society of Geriatric Oncology).

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The End