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. 2021 Dec;6(6):100219.
doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100219. Epub 2021 Sep 16.

Current landscape of ESMO/ASCO Global Curriculum adoption and medical oncology recognition: a global survey

T Cufer  1 , M Kosty  2 , P Osterlund  3 , S Jezdic  4 , D Pyle  5 , A Awada  6 , J Close  7 , N El-Saghir  8 , F Lordick  9 , P Rutkowski  10 , A Tfayli  8 , H Wildiers  11
Affiliations

Current landscape of ESMO/ASCO Global Curriculum adoption and medical oncology recognition: a global survey

T Cufer et al. ESMO Open. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Background: With the implementation of multidisciplinary treatment and development of multiple novel anticancer drugs in parallel with expanding knowledge of supportive and palliative care, a need for separate training and specialisation in medical oncology emerged. A Global Curriculum (GC) in medical oncology, developed and updated by a joint European Society for Medical Oncology/American Society of Clinical Oncology (ESMO/ASCO) GC Task Force/Working Group (GC WG), greatly contributed to the recognition of medical oncology worldwide.

Material and methods: ESMO/ASCO GC WG carried out a global survey on medical oncology recognition and GC adoption in 2019.

Results: Based on our survey, medical oncology is recognised as a separate specialty or sub-specialty in 47/62 (75%) countries participating in the survey; with a great majority of them (39/47, 83%) recognising medical oncology as a standalone specialty. Additionally, in 9 of 62 (15%) countries, medical oncology is trained together with haematology as a specialty in haemato-oncology or together with radiotherapy as a specialty in clinical oncology. As many as two-thirds of the responding countries reported that the ESMO/ASCO GC has been either fully or partially adopted or adapted in their curriculum. It has been adopted in a vast majority of countries with established training in medical oncology (28/41; 68%) and adapted in 12 countries with mixed training in haemato-oncology, clinical oncology or other specialty responsible for training on systemic anticancer treatment.

Conclusions: With 75% of participating countries reporting medical oncology as a separate specialty or sub-specialty and as high as 68% of them reporting on GC adoption, the results of our survey on global landscape are reassuring. Despite a lack of data for some regions, this survey represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date information about recognition of medical oncology and GC adoption worldwide and will allow both societies to further improve the dissemination of the GC and global recognition of medical oncology, thus contributing to better cancer care worldwide.

Keywords: Global Curriculum; Global Curriculum adoption; medical oncology; medical oncology recognition.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure TC reports receipt of honoraria for participation in Advisory Board of Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda, receipt of honoraria as invited speaker from MSD, Pfizer, Roche, institutional financial support for research from Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD); MK reports receipt of honoraria for consulting or advisory role from Biocept, participating in speakers' bureau of Astellas Pharma, Genentech, Roche, Sanofi, Lilly, Bayer, Medivation, Astellas, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Janssen Oncology, Pfizer, MSD, institutional research funding from Genentech, Roche, Merck Serono, covered travel and accommodations expenses by Genentech, Bayer, Medivation, Astellas, Sanofi, Novartis, BMS, Janssen Oncology, Pfizer, MSD; PÖ reports receipt of grants and personal fees from Roche, Merck, Sanofi Oncology, Amgen, Bayer, Eli Lilly, Nordic Drugs, and personal fees from Baxalta/Shire; AA reports receipt of honoraria for participation in Advisory Board of Roche, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Company, Eisai, Novartis, MSD and BMS; NE-S reports receipt of honoraria from Roche, Novartis, MSD Oncology, AstraZeneca, Lilly, Pfizer, research funding (to Institution) from GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, Novartis; FL reports receipt of honoraria for participation in Advisory Board from Amgen, Astellas, Bayer, Beigene, BMS, Eli Lilly, MSD, Roche, Zymeworks, receipt of honoraria as invited speaker from AstraZeneca, BMS, Eli Lilly, Imedex, Medscape, MedUpdate, MerckSerono, MSD, Promedicis, Roche, Servier, StreamedUp!, receipt of honoraria for expert testimony from Biontech, Elsevier, receipt of honoraria for writing engagement from Deutscher Ärzteverlag, Iomedico, Springer-Nature, receipt of institutional research grant from BMS; PR reports receipt of honoraria for participation in Advisory Board of Blueprint Medicines, BMS, Merck, MSD, Pierre Fabre, Sanofi, receipt of honoraria as invited speaker from BMS, Merck, MSD, Novartis, Pierre Fabre, Sanofi, institutional research grants from BMS, Pfizer; AT reports receipt of honoraria for participation in Advisory Board from Merck, receipt of honoraria as invited speaker from AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Merck, Pfizer; HW reports receipt of honoraria to institution for participation in Advisory Board of AstraZeneca, Biocartis, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, KCE, Lilly, Novartis, Orion Corporation, Pfizer, PSI Cro AG, Puma Biotechnology, Roche, Sirtex, institutional research grants from Novartis, Roche, covered travel and accommodations expenses by Pfizer, Roche. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Recognition of medical oncology. The map (A) and the list (B) of countries. aTraining abroad. bDuration shorter than recommended by Global Curriculum.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Global curriculum adoption and adaption. The map (A) and the list (B) of countries. aNot in the whole country, but some training centres follow it.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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