Part of the Prostate Cancer Units Network project

Europa Uomo resumed its programme of auditing prostate cancer units (PCUs) with a visit last week to the Franciscus Gasthuis hospital, one of a network of seven Dutch PCUs in the south-western Netherlands.

This is part of the Prostate Cancer Units Network project – an initiative started by the European School of Oncology (ESO) in partnership with Europa Uomo. It has created the first international network of clinical units dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, and aims to promote the multidisciplinary management of prostate cancer patients.

Members of the network subscribe to a number of criteria such as multi-disciplinary teams and minimum throughput of patients per specialist. As part of the programme, ESO has sponsored a Europa Uomo programme of patient audits, where a team from Uomo visits a unit, meets clinicians and patients and assesses the work of the PCU from a patient standpoint.

The Europe Uomo team included Ken Matris (pictured left), John Dowling (third from right) and Will Jansen (right).  They met Professor Chris Bangma (second right) and were fortunate to have the logistical support of senior oncology nurse Sally Wildeman-Cox (fourth left) who organised the very successful visit programme.