Association of Oncological Patients of Slovenia, Ljubljana

Proposer: Dr Zvonimir Rudolf, Director of the Institute of Oncology in Ljubljana

The Association of Oncological Patients, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary, has broken new ground in raising awareness about breast cancer - both among sufferers and among the general public. Through its advisory, specialist and promotional activities, it has helped remove the taboo surrounding the illness, which significantly reduces stress and activates the forces of self-healing. The work of the volunteers who are on hand to help patients during the immediate post-operative phase at all hospitals in Slovenia where operations are carried out is invaluable. Naturally in order for this work to be done well, constant additional training and teamwork is necessary. The first self-help groups were for women with breast cancer, who called the programme The Path to Recovery. As well as the opportunity to compare experiences, talk with a counsellor and consult literature, the Simonthon self-help programme has been of great help to them. Many members say that the quality of their life has changed significantly since joining the group. The successful work of the Path to Recovery programme has also encouraged others: prostate cancer sufferers have begun to join forces and in June they held their first promotional campaign The Wheel of Life, in which they cycled across Slovenia in order to communicate to as wide a circle of people as possible their message that it is worth ‘choosing life' and living ‘like a winner' since cancer is a disease whose curability can be significantly improved by a positive outlook, familiarity with the symptoms (early diagnosis), a healthy lifestyle and tested forms of help, above all in self-help groups. The association publishes the newsletter Okno (Window), information leaflets and the collections It's Good to Know What It Means (Mammography, Hormonal Treatment of Breast Cancer) and The Guide to Recovery (Testicular Cancer, Malign Lymphomas, Genital Cancer) and other publications. The association has its own website, http://www.onkologija.org, and thus enables the widest possible access to valuable information. The effect that the association's work has on public opinion and thus on the social status of people who have been treated for cancer is invaluable!