INTRODUCTION

The Cancer Survivorship Task Force was established in April 2012. The first chair was Dr. Evandro de Azambuja, medical director, Br.E.A.S.T. Data Centre, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels. The members were Drs. Azim Jr, Buisseret, tKint de Roodenbeeke (Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels) and Dr. Langenaeken (AZ KLINA, Brasschaat).
The aim of the Task Force was to develop guidance on issues regarding follow-up of breast cancer patients who have completed their primary treatment. Guidelines were developed with regard to follow-up, both in the general breast cancer population and in high-risk and special populations, fertility issues, cardiac toxicity, bone health, neurocognitive dysfunction, and neurotoxicity of adjuvant treatment.  Subsequently the Task Force has embarked on the use of mind-body techniques e.g. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in cancer-related cognitive impairment and fear of cancer recurrence.

PROJECTS

• The EMOTICON trial was set up on behalf of the BSMO Survivorship Task Force to determine the efficacy of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) as an intervention strategy to reduce cognitive complaints in cancer survivors (2016). The project was approved and funded by the Fund Suzanne Duchesne and ‘Kom op tegen Kanker’ joint call for innovative projects regarding psychosocial care in (ex) cancer patients and their caregivers. The trial was published in the open access journal of The Lancet Group, EClinicalMedicine  

  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00361-8/fulltext 

• The Pfizer Oncology Award 2020 was awarded to Dr. Ph. Debruyne and the REMOTE project of the BSMO Cancer Survivorship Task Force to examine the efficacy of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to reduce the fear of cancer recurrence. 

  https://www.pfizerpro.be/sites/default/files/bjmo_article_winner_2020_dr_debruyne.pdf .

• The EFT Implementation project was approved and funded by the Social Grants 2021 call of the ‘Stichting tegen Kanker’; the grant allowed participating centres to have a health care professional in their centre obtain basic EFT training and implement EFT in daily practice during and after patients’ cancer treatment
• Members of the group have participated in the survivorship & rehabilitation working group of the Belgian Cancer Barometer in 2021. https://www.e-cancer.be/nl/projects/belgian-cancer-barometer-2020-bcb2020 
  https://www.e-cancer.be/fr/projects/belgian-cancer-barometer-2020-bcb2020 
• The REMOTE project “Targeting Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Cancer Survivors: a Multicentre Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate Internet-Based Emotional Freedom Techniques and Internet-Based Mindfulness Meditation as Intervention Strategies” was approved for funding by “Kom op tegen Kanker” (July 2023). The project is up and running.  Participating centres are az groeninge Kortrijk, AZ Glorieux, AZ KLINA, AZ Vesalius, ZAS, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Jan Yperman Ziekenhuis, Jessa Ziekenhuis, UZ Antwerpen, UZ Brussel, UZ Gent, UZ Leuven, VITAZ.

PUBLICATIONS

• de Azambuja E, Azim HA, Buisseret L et al: Belgian Society of Medical Oncology (BSMO) Task Force on Breast Cancer Survivorship: Belg J Med Oncol 2013;7(5):142-55)1.
• Tack L, Lefebvre T, Lycke M, et al: A randomised wait-list controlled trial to evaluate Emotional Freedom Techniques for self-reported cancer-related cognitive impairment in cancer survivors (EMOTICON)
  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00361-8/fulltext 
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101081. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

GUIDELINES

Guidelines have been developed with regard to follow-up, both in the general breast cancer population and in high-risk and special populations, fertility issues, cardiac toxicity, bone health, neurocognitive dysfunction, and neurotoxicity of adjuvant treatment.  These guidelines were reported in the Belgian Journal of Medical Oncology (Belg J Med Oncol 2013;7(5):142-55)1.

CONTACT FORM

*Chair

Physicians who would like to have more information about the Survivorship Task Force and/or would like to join the group: please contact the chair or a member of the Task Force