This supplement to Cancer Nursing(TM): An International Journal for Cancer Care will be of interest to all those involved in the commitment to care for the health of the global community. It will be of particular interest to those committed to cancer prevention and control, care of the patient with cancer, and to making a difference in the lives of so many.
The supplement documents the process of conducting Cancer Prevention and Control workshops over the past 15 years for nurses throughout the world. It describes and identifies those who attended the programs and why they were selected to attend, and acknowledges the impact they have made on cancer prevention and control within their countries.
With grants awarded by the National Cancer Institute, United States of America, 140 participants from 71 countries attended the 9 workshops held between 1986 and 2002. The workshops, held in conjunction with either the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care or the International Union Against Cancer meetings, were dedicated to presenting information about the issues of cancer prevention and control to a geographically diverse group of individuals working in the ministries of health and in academic environments. Our intent was to stimulate interest in and facilitate an increase in the knowledge of cancer prevention and control worldwide.
An organizing framework to facilitate the development and implementation of educational initiatives to advance cancer care in an effort to impact global health in developing countries has emerged from the experiences of the faculty and those who attended the workshops. We believe it represents a model for the development of cancer programs throughout the global community.
How the program participants did what they did, why they did it, and the impact of their actions tells the "story" of successful program implementation, response to individual cultural considerations, and the caring and commitment to making a difference. This supplement is dedicated to the faculty who taught in the programs through the years and the individuals who attended. It is our hope that we have stimulated the nurses throughout the world to continue to learn more about cancer prevention and control and to continue to integrate their knowledge in their daily practice.