Posts Tagged ‘sarcoma treatment’
No Losers Here!
War metaphors are used all the time in the context of cancer. “You’re a fighter! You got this!”, people say to a newly diagnosed patient.
And the war metaphors seem to imply that if someone succumbs to cancer, it’s because they didn’t fight hard enough, or worse, gave up – “He lost his battle against cancer.” Many point out that such expectations are an additional burden placed upon a person who is already undergoing so much. But I wonder: Can the use of war metaphors be of help to us sarcoma patients as we strive to take an active role in our treatment?
Reflections for the New Year
2023 was a big year for SPAGN and the sarcoma patient community as a whole. We look back on the highlights of all that we achieved together and the many ways in which we grew, as we look to the year ahead.
Read MoreFrom Glasgow to Guyana
Anyone who has a sarcoma or a suspected sarcoma should be seen by sarcoma specialists. This is what we advocates say over and over again in the hope that patients will have better treatment outcomes. Yet in many countries of the world there is no doctor with such expertise. Every year, a Scotland-based orthopedic surgeon and sarcoma expert dedicates part of his leave to teaching and operating in countries where patients do not have access to a specialist surgeon. Here we tell the story of an amazing volunteer initiative.
Read MoreSubmissions open for 2023/24 Advocacy in Action Awards
Each year SPAGN awards special recognition to member groups advancing patient rights and improving patient support. The submissions are OPEN for 2023/2024 projects. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges and announced at the 2024 SPAGN Annual Conference in Rome.
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