{"id":144622,"date":"2025-06-02T18:14:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/one-in-three-patients-lacks-access-to-essential-support-care-teknomers\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T18:14:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:14:55","slug":"one-in-three-patients-lacks-access-to-essential-support-care-teknomers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/one-in-three-patients-lacks-access-to-essential-support-care-teknomers\/","title":{"rendered":"“One in three patients lacks access to essential support care.” – Teknomers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Meeting the Challenges of Cancer Care: An Interview with Philippe Bergerot<\/h2>\n

Dr. \u00a0Philippe Bergerot\u00a0, a 69-year-old \u00a0radiation oncologist\u00a0, dedicated his career to battling cancer at a hospital in \u00a0Saint-Nazaire\u00a0, Loire-Atlantique, until his retirement in \u00a02023\u00a0. His journey with the \u00a0Ligue contre le cancer\u00a0 began in \u00a01998\u00a0, prompted by early discussions around the needs of patients affected by this devastating disease. In \u00a0May 2024\u00a0, he took over the presidency of the association from \u00a0Daniel Nizri\u00a0 and is preparing for re-election at the end of June. We sat down with Dr. Bergerot to discuss his commitment to protecting patient rights and improving cancer care.<\/p>\n

The Current Landscape of Cancer Care<\/h3>\n

“During my early years, a cancer diagnosis was almost invariably a \u00a0death sentence\u00a0,” Dr. Bergerot reflects. “Nowadays, however, we’ve entered a new era where cancer is often treated as a \u00a0chronic disease\u00a0. With advancements such as \u00a0hormonal therapies\u00a0 lasting up to ten years, there has been a genuine \u00a0revolution\u00a0 in treatment options. But for the approximately \u00a04 million French individuals\u00a0 currently living with or having survived cancer, navigating the complexities of the healthcare system remains a daunting task.” He emphasizes that beyond just medical treatment, there exists an urgent need for \u00a0emotional and psychological support\u00a0 for patients. “These individuals require assistance not only to endure their treatments but also to reclaim a satisfactory quality of life. Frustratingly, the current situation indicates a \u00a0decline in patient rights\u00a0 and an \u00a0increase in health inequalities\u00a0.”<\/p>\n

Fighting for Equality in Cancer Care<\/h3>\n

Earlier this year, Dr. Bergerot mobilized a collective of patients and caregivers, driven by the need to amplify the patient voice. “In November, following the initial discussions at the \u00a0States General of cancer patients\u00a0, we decided to form this collective to tackle the disparities in cancer care,” he shares. “This effort culminated in a manifesto presented to the \u00a0President of France\u00a0 in February, consisting of ten pivotal recommendations aimed at overhauling how we approach cancer from \u00a0screening\u00a0 to \u00a0end-of-life care\u00a0.” The recommendations cover essential topics like access to medications, healthcare services, eliminating out-of-pocket costs, pathways back to employment, and recognizing the critical role of caregivers. “Surprisingly, we found through various surveys that about one-third of patients did not have a dedicated consultation to discuss their \u00a0diagnosis\u00a0. Furthermore, the time allocated for these discussions frequently fell short of \u00a0fifteen minutes\u00a0.”<\/p>\n

Addressing the Emotional Needs of Cancer Patients<\/h3>\n

Dr. Bergerot underscored the importance of the \u00a0psychological journey\u00a0 that cancer patients endure. “The process of receiving a diagnosis is not merely about the clinical aspects; it’s a life-altering event that requires careful handling. From the moment they hear the word ‘cancer,’ patients are embarking on a significant emotional challenge that needs to be addressed by healthcare professionals.” He advocates for comprehensive support services, stating that the integration of \u00a0psychological counseling\u00a0 into treatment regimens can make a substantial difference in patient outcomes. “It’s imperative that we begin to value this emotional aspect as critically as the physical treatment.”<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead: The Future of Cancer Advocacy<\/h3>\n

As he prepares for his upcoming re-election, Dr. Bergerot is more determined than ever to ensure that patient concerns are prioritized. He emphasizes the urgency of addressing \u00a0health inequalities\u00a0. “Our health system must be equal for all,” he insists. “We need policies that ensure that no patient feels abandoned or unsupported.” He also calls for ongoing dialogue with \u00a0policymakers\u00a0 to enact the recommended changes from the manifesto, underlining the necessity for a \u00a0robust support system\u00a0 for caregivers as well as patients. “Without their tireless efforts, patients would struggle even more. We must ensure that they, too, are recognized and supported adequately.”<\/p>\n

Dr. Bergerot’s commitment to improving cancer care is evident in his insightful leadership and profound empathy for both patients and caregivers. As the landscape of cancer treatment continues to evolve, advocates like him play an essential role in steering systemic improvements, ensuring that every individual facing cancer receives not just medical treatment, but holistic support tailored to their unique needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meeting the Challenges of Cancer Care: An Interview with Philippe Bergerot Dr. \u00a0Philippe Bergerot\u00a0, a 69-year-old \u00a0radiation oncologist\u00a0, dedicated his career to battling cancer at a hospital in \u00a0Saint-Nazaire\u00a0, Loire-Atlantique, until his retirement in \u00a02023\u00a0. His journey with the \u00a0Ligue contre le cancer\u00a0 began in \u00a01998\u00a0, prompted by early discussions around the needs of patients […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36400],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144622"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144622\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}