Supporting patients and their entourage - Actions

CancerCare is an organization in the United States providing free educational and counseling programs to help anyone affected by cancer understand and deal with their diagnosis, treatment options, quality-of-life concerns, and other important topics. Sanofi-aventis has supported an array of important initiatives with this organization, including sponsoring telephone conferences. The foundation of CancerCare’s Education program is their Telephone Education Workshops (TEWs), free one-hour conference calls presented by cancer experts from around the country. Every year, they produce more than 50 Telephone Education Workshops that reach more than 45,000 people. Key medical experts speak to patients via telephone conference during a one-hour session on different tumor types. Not only can patients learn more about cancer this way, but they are able to ask their questions directly to the experts. On average, 1500 on average participate in each of the 50 telephone education workshops  every year, and 2000 people a month listen to the archives through podcast or replay. Both CancerCare and specifically the Telephone Education Workshop were referenced in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report released October 2007, which highlighted the need to go beyond physical treatment in order to fully address the health needs of cancer patients, including their psychosocial health needs.

CancerCare also has a financial assistance program which helps more than 16,000 families a year with financial needs such as transportation costs. Sanofi-aventis has contributed more than $1,000,000 to this program.  

Founded by the League against cancer, sanofi-aventis, and the canceroncology institute Gustave Roussy on the request of people touched by cancer, the ERI is a place of welcome, to listen and exchange with others and for patients and their families/friends to get more specialized help. Situated within the same building, the centre is neverless independent from the oncology ward, hence complementary. It is an open area, accessible to all, no appointment necessary, run by a trained councillor (not a healthcare professional).

A truly innovative project, sanofi-aventis France and the local committees of the league financially support these care establishments who commit to open a centre during the first two years of the ERIs existence. Thereafter, the care establishment undertakes to finance the ERI in the long-term.

The ERIs have been recognized by the French government in the National Cancer Plan and regional public health actions as an important mechanism in the improvement of taking care of patients affected by cancer.  

In 2006, the Oncology Department at sanofi-aventis Spain sponsored the creation of a children's storybook entitled "What's happening to you, Mummy?". The book was written in collaboration with the Spanish Medical Oncology Society (SEOM) to explain breast cancer to children.

The book is distributed to medical oncologists in all Spanish hospitals and to all patient associations belonging to the Spanish Federation of Breast cancer Patients (FECMA). The book was also supported by the catalan patients group (Grup Agata). Designed to meet a growing need for information among the children of women with breast cancer, it provides a useful means to help mothers explain the illness to their children.

In May 2006, the storybook received the "Jaume Suñol i Blanchart" Prize of the Academy of Medical Science and Health of Catalonia and Baleares, awarded to the best patient information book for taking into account a child's perspective in the course of the illness.