Patient Engagement at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich

Through cooperation and exchange with self-help groups, patient organizations and cancer leagues, we want to better understand the perspective of people affected by cancer and integrate it into everyday clinical practice in order to continuously improve the quality of care.

Cooperation with self-help groups, patient organizations and cancer leagues

Volunteer support services provided by patient organizations for patients with hematologic neoplaxis:

Volunteer support services provided by patient organizations for patients with skin cancer:

Volunteer support services provided by patient organizations for patients with lung cancer:

Voluntary support services offered by patient organizations for patients with colorectal cancer

COLORECTUM – Colorectal cancer patient network

Selbsthilfe Zürich is the information and advice center on the subject of self-help and self-help groups in the city of Zurich and surrounding regions.

Selbsthilfe Zürich refers affected persons and their relatives to self-help groups, offers start-up assistance for the establishment of new self-help groups and supports existing groups in the face of challenges in their process.

The staff of the cantonal cancer leagues provide information and help in reorganizing the social and financial situation. People affected by cancer often have to deal not only with medical issues, but also with financial and organizational ones. Who takes care of the children when a parent has to go to the hospital? How do financial circumstances change when someone can no longer work?

The Zurich Lighthouse has been offering terminally ill, dying people a place to find peace for over 25 years. We help our residents to achieve the highest possible quality of life and the most autonomous farewell possible. Our interdisciplinary team guarantees not only holistic care and personal attention, but a final home.

Patient Advisory Board of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich

Targets

The Patient Advisory Board of the CCCZ aims to better understand the perspective of patients, affected persons and relatives and to include them in the planning and implementation of processes and projects of the CCCZ. In this way, we would like to further develop the quality of care and research at the CCCZ in a patient-oriented manner.

Tasks

With the help of the CCCZ Patient Advisory Board, the views of patients and relatives are to be incorporated into the planning and implementation of processes and decisions at the CCCZ. Close cooperation already exists in the organization of CCCZ patient events, such as Cancer Survivor Day and the Patient Academies, which patient organizations and self-help groups help to shape and enrich with their own contributions. In addition, the content and comprehensibility of the CCCZ information media are to be improved through the joint exchange. Another project will deal with the development of “visible” patient pathways at the CCCZ.

Meeting

The CCCZ’s Patient Advisory Board was established in July 2023. Participants are representatives of patient organizations and self-help groups as well as employees from the CCCZ core areas of cancer medicine and cancer research. The meetings of the CCCZ Patient Advisory Board are held regularly (at least twice a year). Smaller project-specific working groups are also planned as required.

Participants

Patient organizations/self-help groups

  • Isabell Nünninghoff, Elle Help, association for gynecological cancers
  • Christina Christen, Tavola Rosa Zurich, Europa Donna
  • Rosmarie Pfau, lymphome.ch, Patient Network Switzerland
  • Michael Emmenegger, Association Living with Lung Cancer

Selbsthilfe Zürich

  • Nadia Maurer, Self-Help Zurich

CCCZ

  • Erik Aerts, Clinic for Medical Oncology and Hematology
  • Prof. Dr. Konrad Basler, Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Director CCCZ Basic Research
  • Catherine Frey Blanc, Clinic for Dermatology, CCCZ Skin Cancer Center
  • Dr. Anna Götz, CCCZ Nursing
  • Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Guckenberger, Clinic for Radiation Oncology, Director CCCZ Outreach and Education
  • Marc Lutz, CCCZ Communication
  • Linda Morgan, Clinic for Dermatology, CCCZ Skin Cancer Center
  • Meihan Sarwary, CCCZ Clinical Trials Program
  • Prof. Dr. med. Isabelle Schmitt Opitz, Clinic for Thoracic Surgery, CCCZ Organ Center Lung and Thoracic Oncology
  • Danijela Simonovic-Juric, Clinic for Gynecology, CCCZ Breast Cancer Center
  • Silke Uflacker, CCCZ Events
  • Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Wicki, Clinic for Medical Oncology and Hematology, Director CCCZ Clinical Program
  • Dr. Maja Zenz, CCCZ Managing Director

Contact

If you have any questions or would like to bring issues to the CCCZ Patient Advisory Board, please write to us at cccz@usz.ch.