A LIFE WITHOUT CANCER Danish Cancer Society | Annual Report 2010
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The Danish Cancer Society's Annual Report 2010 A LIFE WITHOUT CANCER Danish Cancer Society | Annual Report 2010 2 VISION AND GOALS FOR 2015 The Danish Cancer Society’s vision is Society aims to: Towards 2015, the Danish Cancer Society will work to a life without cancer • monitor and safeguard patient rights; improve the situation of cancer patients and optimise • identify problems and obstacles; every aspect of the cancer pathway. This vision is realised by • offer professional and political advice; • preventing the occurrence of cancer; • specify goals and possible solutions; The cancer pathway includes all initiatives and offers: • offering the possibility of a cure; • promote and lead developments and activities required from research and prevention, through therapy and care, • helping those afflicted. to reach our goals; to rehabilitation and palliation. • involve relevant parties; With its widespread popular support and the expertise • monitor and record results. This goal applies to the Danish Cancer Society’s own and skills achieved through research, patient support, activities as well as the efforts for which the public sector prevention and information activities, the Danish Cancer is responsible. 3 Danish Cancer Society | Annual Report 2010 INDHOLD CONTENT Management’s Report 6 Communications 52 Editors: Cancer Research 8 Finances 58 Kurt Damsgaard (editor-in-chief), Quality Department 22 Organisation, Management and Committees 85 communications manager Prevention Department 28 Research Grants 88 Jytte Dreier, editor Patient Support Department 34 Patients’ Associations 101 Design and production: Volunteers 40 Cancer Counselling Centres 102 Esben Bregninge Design Marketing 46 Translation: ad Astra Translators Photos: Tomas Bertelsen, Niels Aage Skovbo, Colourbox Front page: Maria Rüsz and Troja on their daily exercise round at Dyrehaven, north of Copenhagen. Maria was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2005. She is still struggling with long-term sequelae from the treatment, but Maria has an unfailing love of life and is now attempting, with her husband Kristian, to become eligible for adopting a child. 4 FOREWORD A GOOD LIFE WITH CANCER One of the things that surprised me last summer when I took We also keep up our focus on helping people affected by can- office as director of the Danish Cancer Society was how big and cer to move on. It is particularly important for us to continuously important a research institution we actually are. This was gather knowledge of the experiences of those afflicted by can- emphasised in an international analysis that ranked the Danish cer in order to provide the best possible help. Our goal is to Cancer Society’s research departments as one of the top 30 in make it possible to contact the Danish Cancer Society around the world – out of 2,833 research institutions. Impressive! the clock. Continued high credibility with the public We must continue to be among the best. The research at the Leif Vestergaard Danish Cancer Society is important. It must always be scientifi- Maintaining the high level of credibility and our strong influence Pedersen, cally documented and at the highest international level. Our on political decision-making requires hard work and a sound man. director research is continually adding new knowledge in the fight base in the general public. The support from 460,000 members against cancer – knowledge that must be deployed to benefit and the massive assistance of thousands of volunteers all over cancer patients as soon as possible. Denmark contribute to amplifying the effect of our staff’s efforts. Increased focus on conditions for cancer patients I am pleased and proud to be at the helm of Denmark’s largest In order to become even better and stronger, the management patients’ association. A lot of important work has been carried of the Danish Cancer Society has initiated a development proc- out in recent years, but the Danish Cancer Society must further ess to ensure an even more coherent and stronger organisation. intensify its focus on conditions for seriously ill cancer patients. We must become even better at exploiting common knowledge We simply must ensure decisive breakthroughs in therapy in the and at increasing and coordinating our interdepartmental work. years to come. Because too many cancer patients start treatment Also, we must ensure that it becomes easier to be a volunteer, too late, far too many die from the disease – particularly within because we need even more volunteers to tackle the many the first year – and too many experience a pathway that is not up tasks that lie ahead. to par or is disconnected. Also after completing their treatment. Living with cancer For this reason, early diagnostics, rehabilitation and palliative Although it is unlikely that cancer will ever be eliminated, we treatment are also crucial areas of focus for the Danish Cancer will continue working to create a good quality of life with can- Society. cer. Our goal is that cancer should not be fatal but a disease you can live with. The same applies to preventing cancer. We know a lot about what can be done to reduce the risk of getting the disease. But The Annual Report gives a glimpse of what the Society has we fail to act accordingly. Greater efforts must be invested in been working on in 2010 and in the past 5–10 years, and a little helping people to change their behaviour to reduce their own about what we will do in 2011. The focal points for 2011 are risk. Screening and vaccination must be readily accessible to described in more detail at www.cancer.dk. Enjoy the read! benefit as many people as possible. 5 Danish Cancer Society | Annual Report 2010 MANAGEMENT’S REPORT 2010 was the year when the Danish Cancer Society got a efficient cornerstone for the development to ensure can- patients and relatives in need of help and support. It is a new managing director. Leif Vestergaard Pedersen and the cer patients and their relatives a decent rehabilitation two-pronged strategy because part of the Danish Cancer rest of the management team have taken on a number of pathway at hospitals and at municipal level. Society’s cancer counselling centres will be relocated and challenges in attempts to continue developing Denmark’s further developed in partnership with the Realdania Foun- largest and most powerful patients’ association. The Dan- The future work of improving the results for the individual dation to become visible and accessible close to the large ish Cancer Society currently has almost 460,000 members cancer patient imposes great demands on the Danish cancer hospitals. and enormous volunteer involvement. This trend must be Cancer Society which must disseminate the requisite nurtured and enhanced further as it is the backbone of the knowledge and influence the political process at national, Similarly, the Danish Cancer Society will join forces with Society and the basis for its economic and political clout. regional and local levels alike. The management is con- Danish municipalities to ensure a local presence when vinced that the continued development of all branches of cancer patients need to get back on their feet in their daily Cancer Plan III the organisation in partnership with the popularly elected lives after treatment. This also applies to electronic and The Danish Cancer Society is focussing on the Govern- representatives of the Society and the thousands of com- social media such as the Cancer Forum. It is essential for ment’s Cancer Plan III and has made great efforts to influ- mitted volunteers will be decisive for this work. the Danish Cancer Society to always have reliable knowl- ence the plan towards providing the greatest benefit pos- edge about the experiences of cancer patients and of how sible for cancer patients and preventing cancer. Cancer patients must be offered acute treatment the Danish Cancer Society can best help them. Cancer Plan III mainly focuses on the time before and For years, the Danish Cancer Society has been pointing after the actual cancer therapy, but there is still work to be Volunteer efforts and our partnership with other organisa- out that Danish cancer patients receive treatment too late done to ensure that all the objectives of Cancer Plans I tions and foundations, including TrygFonden, are well- and often experience a poor and unstructured pathway, and II are achieved. The hospitals must treat cancer established. The Danish Cancer Society’s local profile has also after leaving the hospital. It is therefore pleasing that patients swiftly, efficiently and using a high level of medi- improved with spectacular results, for instance by means early diagnosis, rehabilitation and palliative treatment are cal expertise. However, recent figures for acute cancer of the Sun campaign, Baton for Life, the IGEN thrift stores, central components of the plan. In the prevention area, treatment show a mixed picture. not to mention the annual fundraising drive. The Society there is focus on screening for intestinal cancer and on expects a lot from the involvement of our volunteers, children as relatives. The next goal is to see the words of Cancer patients must be offered emergency treatment. which requires professional dedicated interaction with all Cancer Plan III translated into tangible improvements for Longer waiting times and late diagnosis are detrimental to parts of the organisation. the individual cancer patient. the possibilities of closing the gap that still remains when comparing the Danish survival statistics with those of the The Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Danish Cancer Cancer rehabilitation other Nordic countries, for instance. There is no doubt Society granted a total of DKK 60 million in 2010. DKK 30 The Danish Cancer Society considers Cancer Plan III to be that the mortality rate in the period immediately following million went towards establishing the Research Centre for a good starting point for advancing the Society’s national diagnosis is excessively high in Denmark.