NOWOTWORY - Journal of Oncology • 2010 • Volume 6 • Number 5 451-452
Nowotwory’s interview. • Rozmowy “Nowotworów”..

Prof. Edward Towpik:

Professor, congratulations on your election. It is no secret that you are heavily burdened with numerous functions and duties. What, therefore, made you decide to be a candidate for the presidency of the Polish Society of Oncology?

Prof. Jacek Jassem:

There were a number of reasons. The first was the fulfilment of the request of the outgoing Board, where for many years I had served as Vice-President. The second was the desire to realise some important ideas for oncology, which would be difficult without strong support from our society. The third was my rebellious nature, which compels me to be exposed to further challenges. In 2010, I was able to carry out the project of my life - in April; the Polish Parliament adopted an amendment prepared by me to the law on protection from the effects of smoking. The main purpose is to protect Poles from the effects of passive smoking. I am confident that the implementation of this law (it will come into force on 15 November 2010) will save the lives of more people than I together with my team could save before the end of our professional activities. I struggled with this issue for two terms of office of the Parliament for over three and a half years years. There were countless visits to the Parliament, meetings with politicians of all parties and the people of the media, journalistic activities, polemics, meetings and conferences. A few months after the enactment of the law, I felt the need to achieve more goals - and then received this honourable proposal. So far, having acted mainly in foreign scientific societies and organisations, including ASCO, ECCO, ESTRO and EORTC. I thought it might be the last chance to do something useful also for the country.

Prof. Towpik:

Will the Polish Society of Oncology, having active scientific societies of particular oncology specialties, continue to play an important role, and if so – what role?

Prof. Jassem:

Indeed, in today's oncology there are several distinct areas of medicine, which is also reflected in the subsequent formation of scientific societies. It is a natural and well-tested process, which is best illustrated by the intense activity of these societies. At the same time, the diagnosis and treatment of cancer are becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, so that all of these specialties need to work closely together. Nowadays, oncology is also the close integration of clinical and biological knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a platform for the cooperation of clinicians representing all oncology specialties, but also pathologists, molecular biologists, geneticists, immunologists and representatives of many other areas of oncology. Our Society offers this possibility. Regardless of that, our Society implements a series of tasks that go beyond individual clinical specialties, including even educational activity and the popularisation of oncology. PSO is the oldest and largest oncology society in Poland, enjoying some major achievements and tradition, of which our magazine is the best example. PSO’s strength is in its regional branches, many of which do a great job.

Prof. Towpik:

Is there a chance for PSO to become the voice of the opinions of the entire society and to be listened to by the state administration and media?

Prof. Jassem:

This is one of the most important tasks of the Society and I would like to expand it. Such activity is greatly needed. On the one hand, the government needs wise experts who can assist in developing strategic programmes, such as oncology prevention, or general directions for the development of cancer treatment. On the other hand, it is necessary to popularise knowledge of oncology - after all, you can see how many myths are circulating in our society and how minimal knowledge about cancer is. In these aspects, I want to use my contacts with the world of politics and the media, which I established while working on the anti-smoking law.

Prof. Towpik:

What can branch offices achieve? Is there a way to activate them where they do not work?

Prof. Jassem:

This is one of the biggest challenges of this term. The task of the Executive Board is to popularise within the Society the best examples and to encourage cooperation and exchange of experiences between the various branches, for example by organising pan-regional meetings. We need to improve internal communications between the Society members, which in the era of electronic media will certainly be easier than ever. I personally will try during the four-year term to visit all of the branches, to meet with the members and to talk about any problems.

Prof. Towpik:

What, therefore, are the most important tasks for the President for the 4-year term?

Prof. Jassem:

There are a lot of them. I will start from the most mundane issues faced by most scientific societies and thus verify membership in the PSO and the settlement of outstanding fees and contributions. We hope to produce a printed and electronic newsletter containing details of all members of the Association. In the near future, a professional website will be created, combining the functions of information, education and dissemination. Of course, the site will also allow electronic access to Nowotwory magazine; I would love subscribers to be able to obtain free access to the current brochures of our journal. We will try to create there also a place for patients, with links to our preferred educational materials, which, in the era of Internet "trash", can help them find reliable information. We want to create new forms of assistance to our members, for example, to organise courses in scientific writing and preparing grant applications, help with the professional content and, if necessary, the language of the young authors of scientific reports and increase their opportunities for participation in major scientific congresses. We want to get involved in the creation of a report on the state-of-the-art Polish oncology and assist in establishing the direction of its development. We will involve ourselves more in developing strategies for state intervention in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We will look at the funding level of oncology in Poland compared to other countries but also analyse the differences between the various regions in Poland. PSO will contribute to the Action Against Cancer undertaken by the European Union and the World Health Organisation. We want to help in developing a national policy plan on cancer, which, in accordance with the recommendations of the Commission, should arise before 2013. Next year, Poland will take over the Presidency of the EU Council and our health care will definitely be "under the microscope" of the international community, so it is worth doing everything to save our blushes. We will develop new forms of promotion in general - I am thinking, for example, about organising a several-day-long oncology course for journalists interested in the subject. An important element of our business should be fighting for oncology’s rightful place in undergraduate training - there is still much to do here. We need to increase the scope of international cooperation so that Polish oncology can become even more visible abroad. Of course, we will continue to expand the existing forms of scientific research and training. We want, in cooperation with all oncology societies, to prepare well for the 3rd Congress of Polish Oncology, which will be held in Wroclaw in 2012.

Prof. Towpik:

This is an extremely ambitious programme. How does the President want to achieve all this?

Prof. Jassem:

PSO must be open to external partners and to expand cooperation with other associations. Currently, we are preparing a partnership agreement model, which we would like to conclude with companies and institutions declaring their willingness to support our activities. Through the new initiatives, we want to increase the activity of our younger colleagues - I am sure that they are a source of new inspiration. We will also encourage them to take on challenges and promote the greatest academic achievement of Polish authors. Fortunately, we are no longer Cinderella in this area; Polish works are published in the most prestigious journals of international recognition, so we want to show them off. Perhaps under the heading of “Journal Club” on the pages of our magazine we could create a "Polish corner" containing these works. Apart from that, we might think about an award for the best works published in Nowotwory magazine in the category of review papers, original articles and case presentations. We also need to show our work in the media, to reach the public. In carrying out our mission, we need many allies, so we have to do everything to make it as good as possible.

Prof. Towpik:

I wish you successful implementation of these plans. I am very pleased with the important role envisaged for Nowotwory magazine and I declare my active cooperation. Thank you very much