ESMO 2016 | Patient involvement can improve awareness and treatment for pregnant women diagnosed with cancer

Pete Wallroth, founder and CEO of Mummy’s Star, Hadfield, UK, a charity that supports women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy. Pete emphasises the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with oncologists, as there are often certain symptoms that can be masked by a pregnancy. Another important aspect of patient-doctor communication is ensuring the patients are kept involved in treatment decisions, and that oncologists take the time to discuss other issues outside of the disease. As he puts it, “it is important to treat the patient and not the cancer”. Recorded at the 2016 annual meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), held in Copenhagen, Denmark.