Information Activities

The Romanian Cancer Society has been engaged, from the beginning, in a range of activities with the purpose of rasing public awereness towards cancer related problems.

Media apearances:


 
• Radio programs on Radio Renasterea, Mix FM and Radio Cluj
   
• Conferences and public debates organized monthly at the "Lucian Blaga" Central Universitary Library. Topics of the debates:
   
• Alcohool and cancer – lecturer dr. Valentin Cernea and dr. I. Hosu
  
• Can we prevent cancer? – dr. Alin Rancea
  
• Breast cancer. Treatment and hope – dr. Corina Idu
  
• Why do children get cancer? – dr. Dana Cernea
  
• Can breast cancer be cured? – dr. Alexandru Eniu
  
• Viruses and cancer – dr. Elisabeta Ciuleanu
  
• Immunization against cervical cancer – dr. Viorica Nagy
  
• Gastric cancer: past, present and future – dr. Calin Cainap
  
• Symptoms in rectal cancer – dr. Alina Simona Muntean
  
• Possibilities and limitations in modern radiation therapy – dr. Gabriel Kacso
  
• Should we be apprehensive towards chemotherapy? – dr. Cristina Cebotaru
  
• The RCS Magazine – "Cancer – a challenge for life" – 28 issues printed in 1000 copies/issue, up to the present moment;
   
• Booklets and leaflets edited, printed and distributed by RCS: 14 different types of booklets on cancer issues, 12 different types of leaflets and 5 types of posters on diet, breast cancer, cervical cancer, smoking and International Day Against Cancer.
   
• Raising awareness campaigns: "October – The Month of Fight Against Breast Cancer" – a campaign launched in 2002, as a part of an international event marked by the illumination in pink of a remarkable building located in the most important cities around the world. Short speeches on prevention and early diagnosis issues are held by oncologists and RCS representatives. Also, all participants receive promotional material with further information on the issue. Starting in 2006, a short movie on prevention and early diagnosis is projected each year for the audience.
   
• Info-panels located inside the Oncology Institute from Cluj Napoca: 4 such panels provided regularly with booklets and leaflets on a variety of cancer issues (diagnosis, treatments, prevention, psychological support etc.).
   

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Prevention Activities

Prevention and diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer in the underprivileged population in 6 counties: Cluj, Salaj, Satu Mare, Alba, Maramures si Bistrita-Nasaud:

the project was developed in partnership with the Oncology Institute "Ion Chiricuta" from Cluj Napoca between October 2002 and September 2006; our services had been offered free of charge to all women of these communities, many of them having no health insurance; in the end, the total number of beneficiaries reached 17500 persons; unfortunately, at the present moment, the project has been suspended out of lack of funds.

Lung cancer prevention through fighting smoking:

the program aims at educating young people and students from both rural and urban areas, in order to quit smoking, as well as to become aware of the danger of being diagnosed with cancer because of this habit. Also, the program encourages these young people to get involved in educating other people, as well as in creating smoking free work enviroments.

Partners in this project are the Cluj-Napoca County School Inspector, and the Public Health Department-Service for Health Promotion and the League against Smoking.

October – The Month of Fight Against Breast Cancer:

every October the 1st, events to raise awareness on breast cancer issues take place in the most important cities in Romania; these events focus on information, creating awareness, fundraising and advocacy for the rights of breast cancer patients; the event is best known for the illumination in pink of a representative building of the city, as is in Cluj Napoca the case of the National Theatre "Lucian Blaga"; on this day, charity events take place with the participation of local personalities; also, it is an event that succeeds every year to attract public attention on the difficulties encountered by patients with breast cancer and on the importance of prevention and early diagnosis.

Fundraising

In order to assure the necessary funds for all our programs and activities, RCS organizes, periodically, among other things, special fundraising events.

The production of brochures

RCS is permanently concerned with editing new information on prevention for our beneficiaries. Free booklets, leaflets and brochures containing information about the prevention and treatment of different types of cancer are distributed. These are the following:

• Chemotherapy
  
• Radiation Therapy
  
• Cancer and Nutrition
  
• Things for you to think about
  
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  
• Hodgkin’s Disease
  
• Leukemia
  
• Glossary of cancer terminology
  
• Breast cancer
  
• Lung Cancer
  
• Cervical Cancer
  
• Cancer of the Digestive System
  
• Prostate Cancer
  

All brochures edited by RCS can be downloaded from our website, only in Romanian.

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Support Activities

Support Groups

RCS offers support groups for psychological recovery addressed to people with cancer, as well as to their friends and family. There are several emotional responses to the cancer diagnosis. It can be a matter of shock, fear, dispair, anger, feelings of guilt, denial, feelings of a loss of control on top of many uncertainties regarding the future. These are normal emotional responses, that a person with any life threatening illness has to confront, but, these emotions, behaviors, thoughts and attitudes can make coping with the illness more difficult. The support groups, conducted by a psychologist or a social worker, improve social and emotional relationships, recovery, diminish the effects of the disease effects and have a positive affect on the quality of life during treatment.

"Smile for children with cancer" – the project aims at improving the psychological and emotional situation of both children with cancer, that are treatead at the Oncopediatric Clinic no. II in Cluj Napoca, and their parents, that are the most important source of support for the little ones during treatment. A special part of our support group program is dedicated to the counseling of parents whose children are suffering from cancer. These groups have a role in reducing the stress parents have to cope with, which is caused by their child's illness, and accepting the illness with the help of a psychologist. Parents also learn to cope with suffering, to communicate with their children, and to maintain a normal attitude towards them. Moreover, the children are helped to cope better with their treatment by creating special events for them where they can play, relax, meet magicians and fairy tale characters. The project is supported financially by the Sanofi-Aventis Company.

The Social Services Program (accredited by the Ministry of Labor and Family) that functions, since 2006, within the Counselling and Information Centre. The centre offers information regarding the rights and duties of patients with cancer, social counselling and emotional support within a support group and financial support for transportation, medicine and medical devices.

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Advocacy activities

"Dignity and respect. Rights for breast cancer survivors" - The purpose of the project is to improve the quality of life for breast cancer survivors in Romania, through legislative amendments to include them in the cathegory of disabled persons and also to include the breast prostheses on the list of free of charge prosthetic devices. In Romania, women who have survived breast cancer, being excluded from the list of persons with disabilities, don't have access to facilities such as free transportation, exemption from taxes and fees, reduced working timetable, financial support and the right to get a personal social worker.

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