Dear Colleagues
As 2024 draws to a close, I would like to share our achievements this year on behalf of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC). This review reflects on the remarkable achievements and significant milestones we have reached in maximizing the influence of nursing on reducing the global cancer burden. We are deeply grateful to all member organizations and global citizens for their unfailing support and valuable contributions to turning our strategic plan 2022-2025 into action.
Strategic Direction 1: Build and strengthen the cancer nursing workforce across the world
Over half of global cancer cases occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our priority in 2024 was to continue to strengthen cancer nursing leadership and workforces worldwide, particularly in LMICs, to reduce the global cancer burden. In 2024, we worked collaboratively with the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ghana, and City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) to prepare a 5-year project proposal on developing an oncology nursing leadership program for training 240 cancer nurses across African countries. The project was successfully funded by Amgen, and the first cohort will be launched in Spring 2025.
Upholding the standards of training programs for cancer nurses is crucial for strengthening nurses’ provision of cancer care and control. We gathered oncology nursing leaders to review and provide feedback on the chemo-immunotherapy course developed by Hellenic Oncology Nursing Society to enhance the competency of cancer nurses in Europe.
To optimize learning opportunities and build capacity for nurses from LMICs, we offered over 60 scholarships for LMIC nurses to attend the virtual symposium 2024.
Strategic Direction 2: Influence global health policy
Global health policy helps establish national cancer control plans that benefit patients, healthcare organizations, and healthcare systems. Two position statements—one each on “cancer prevention, early detection, screening, and health promotion” and “out-of-hospital care for people living with metastatic breast cancer”—were developed in 2024. These statements highlight the key role played by nurses in cancer prevention, early cancer detection, and ensuring optimal care delivery to people with metastatic breast cancer. ISNCC is committed to optimizing nurses’ contributions to cancer care and control. Let us work together to transform these position statements into action.
As a member of the steering committee of the International Cancer Control Partnership, we supported cancer control planning efforts by reviewing national cancer control plans and enlisting global cancer nursing experts to implement and evaluate these plans.
Strategic Direction 3: Advance and apply knowledge
We have provided global nurses with various educational opportunities for advancing their cancer care knowledge and skills. We conducted global knowledge exchange webinars focusing on the care of people with mesothelioma and emotional distress. We convened a virtual symposium 2024 with the theme “Stronger together – 40 years of global cancer nursing,” covering topics on quality improvement, supporting system change, improving cancer treatment outcomes, and reducing cancer patients’ burden. Using Pfizer’s funding, we developed educational resources for global cancer nurses to support metastatic breast cancer patients receiving oral anti-cancer treatment. The English educational materials have been translated into simplified Chinese and Spanish. We also shared up-to-date research and knowledge with global cancer nurses via scientific meetings and conferences hosted by our member organizations and regional/international partners. All of these educational activities gathered global nurses from more than 40 countries/regions. The nurses’ commitment to equipping themselves to provide the best cancer care is greatly appreciated. The cancer nurses who attended the global knowledge exchange programs and virtual symposium gained actionable insights that they can use to make a difference in their own healthcare settings, from cancer prevention to end-of-life care.
Up to 50% of cancer cases are preventable by engaging in healthy lifestyles and detecting the disease early. We obtained a research grant to promote early gastric cancer detection in rural China by strengthening nurses and healthcare providers’ capacity for the prevention and early detection of gastric cancer, improving access to and uptake of gastric cancer screening, and improving knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding the prevention and early detection of gastric cancer among rural residents. We deeply appreciate The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation for supporting ISNCC’s initiatives to reduce the global cancer burden via early cancer detection.
Cancer Nursing, ISNCC’s official journal, continues to disseminate groundbreaking research findings and their practical applications to address the wide spectrum of problems arising in the care and support of cancer patients worldwide. We continue to support our journal by offering an English editorial assistance program to non-English-speaking nurse authors seeking to publish.
Strategic Direction 4: Leverage partnerships with Members and Global Citizens
ISNCC Members are organizations representing cancer nurses in countries and regions worldwide. Our Global Citizens are individuals in the field of cancer care who support ISNCC’s ethos, objectives, strategy, and philanthropic goals. In 2024, over 130 cancer nurses from 30 countries/regions engaged in various positions and/or strategic activities to achieve ISNCC’s mission, including being directors/committee members/speakers/project team leaders/members and/or engaging in organizing various ISNCC activities. We also worked collaboratively with our member organizations and regional/international partners to achieve our common goals. For example, we organized a joint Global Knowledge Exchange webinar with the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) and The International Thoracic Oncology Nursing Forum; provided mutual support to promote our activities via members’/partners’ networks and vice versa; worked collaboratively with the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) to organize a joint CNSA–ICCN 2025 Congress in Adelaide, Australia; worked collaboratively with C/Can and UHAS to develop an oncology nursing leadership program for nurses across African countries; used CANO’s funding to establish a research grant for ISNCC members and global citizens from LMICs; and partnered with Asian Oncology Nursing Society and Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute to develop a clinical observership program for Asian cancer nurses. Moreover, ISNCC collaborated with five member organizations and regional/international partners (CANO, Oncology Nursing Society, European Oncology Nursing Society, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), Global Power of Oncology Nursing) to respond to the recently published MASCC Supportive Care 2030 Ambition Statements that outline the desired global state of supportive care by 2030, articulating the role and contribution of oncology nurses in achieving it.
Incoming and outgoing Board of Directors
We have four new members on the Board of Directors, Lena Sharp (President-elect), Catherine Johnson (Treasurer), Yuhan Lu (Director, communication portfolio), and David Makumi-Kinyanjui (Director), while Suzanne Bishaw (Director, conference management portfolio) and Julia Downing (Director, policy and advocacy portfolio) were re-elected for their second term. We greatly appreciate three outgoing members—Patsy Yates (Past president), Linda Watson (Treasurer), and Yongyi Chen (Director, communication portfolio)—for their dedication and contributions to ISNCC and global cancer nurses during their term of services.
As we look to 2024 and beyond, we are grateful for your support of ISNCC’s mission. Our global accomplishments could not be achieved without your support and commitment. Your engagement in ISNCC’s work creates synergies to maximize global nurses’ efforts to improve the health and well-being of people at risk of or living with cancer. We look forward to continuing to work closely with you to maximize our contributions to cancer control.
We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year 2025!
Regards,
Winnie So
President
International Society for Nurses in Cancer Care
