Annual Report 05 - International Union Against Cancer

University of Lagos chaired the opening
ceremony, which was followed by
a guest lecture on the clinical uses of
immunohistochemistry. The workshop
was well covered by national television
and print media. For the practicing
histopathologists, there was an
Better together
Assessing the organizational needs of cancer
patient groups in Croatia and Romania
Cancer patient groups provide
much-needed services to cancer
patients and their families, but their
activities are rarely recorded or
assessed. To support the development
of effective and sustainable cancer
patient groups, particularly in
resource-constrained countries, the
UICC conducted a pilot project with
selected groups in Romania and
Croatia.
TNM
Cancer staging is an essential element
in classifying and measuring the
anatomic extent of disease. This
measurement is elementary in evaluating
the effectiveness of our intervention.
Shifts in stage are the earliest
indication of effective screening and
early detection programmes, evaluation
of the impact of practice guidelines,
and quality of care.
In 1953, the UICC adopted the
TNM classification of malignant
tumours created by Pierre Denoix.
Today, TNM (tumour-node-metastasis)
is the global standard for cancer
staging. Through the TNM classification
project led by Dr Leslie Sobin
and Dr Mary Gospodarowicz, the
additional slide session on liver and
gastrointestinal pathology. A smaller
workshop on gynaecological
cytopathology ran concurrently.
The impact of the workshop will
be seen in improved standards of
practice and research and better
Based on a series of interviews and
observations, the researchers evaluated
the capabilities of each group and
made specific recommendations to
increase their capacity.
Better Together, a UICC report
published in August 2008 summarized
the findings of the pilot project
and can help build the capacity of
patient groups in south-eastern
Europe and beyond.
UICC reviews and regularly updates
the TNM Classification of Malignant
Tumours, the TNM Atlas, the TNM
Supplement, and Prognostic Factors in
Cancer.
Working across the world
requires engagement while paying
attention to the expertise and published
evidence. For the classification
to be adopted, opinion leaders’
engagement and acceptance is
essential.
The sixth edition of the TNM
Classification of Malignant Tumours was
published in 2002. A seventh edition
is in preparation and is planned for
publication at the end of 2009.
Connecting, mobilizing, supporting
patient care. Most participating institutions
have now begun to use the
techniques of immunohistochemistry
and liquid based cytopathology. A
laboratory in Lagos will also serve
other centres in Nigeria.
“The UICC has a long and rich tradition in developing cancer
staging classification. It has demonstrated consistent commitment
to internationally acceptable, evidence- and consensusbased
staging classification relevant to both cancer control and
clinical use.”
Mary Gospodarowicz, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto,
Canada
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Offering strong support