Associazione Italiana Malati di Cancro Parenti e Amici (AIMAC)

The Associazione Italiana Malati di Cancro, Parenti e Amici (AIMaC), founded in 1997, is a non-profit organization. They have been apart of the Register of Associations of Volunteer of the Lazio region since 2000, and is made up of patients , relatives of sick people, students, researchers, physicians, psychologists, psychotherapists, businesspeople and journalists. The purpose of the Association is providing information on cancer and therapies to patients, their families and friends; provide psychological support to patients, to promote initiatives to spread them more widely as possible information on cancer. AIMaC became associate UICC member in 1998. AIMaC is a non profit-making association founded in 1997 by a group of cancer patients, scientists, journalists and medical doctors. AIMaC is the major reference point for Italian-speaking cancer patients all over the world. The object of its activity is to give information and psychological support to cancer patients and their families and friends through: • a collection of 30 booklets (Sunflower booklets) on the major types of cancer, how they can be treated and what effects the different therapies can have; • 98 Drug Factsheets giving information on individual chemotherapy drugs; • 50 Cancer Factsheets, which are actually the translation of NCI’s PDQs, giving information on staging and treatment of different individual cancers; Almost all material comes from MacMillan Cancer Support’s production, except for the Cancer Factsheets and the melanoma booklet, that have been translated from the information published by the American NCI. Moreover, a Scientific committee, whose members are some of the most renowned Italian oncologists, accurately selects, revises and approves the material to be used and also helps to reply the numerous queries that are received every day from the patients and their families. • 2 DVDs on chemo- and radiotherapy • a national helpline (phone, fax, e-mail): A clinical oncologist, a psychologist and a lawyer, assisted by psychologists of the civil service, respond to questions concerning diseases, treatments and their side effects, access to the benefits provided by law in employment, welfare and social issues. The interdisciplinary team offers the cancer patients, their relatives or friends the opportunity to be heard and to express any support needs and / or assistance.Toll-free 840 503579, Phone 06 4825107 Fax 06 42011216, E-mail address info@aimac.it • a web site (www.aimac.it), with more than 5.000 visitors per day and 100.000 booklets downloaded per day, provides information on various types of cancer, the treatments and their complications, support services and has obtained the seal of Health On the Net Foundation. • 35 information desks in the most important cancer treatment and research institutes all over Italy. They are managed by psychologists who are willing to offer patients and their carers oral information, information material and also help them surf the web. • Forum (http://forumtumore.aimac.it), created as a result of numerous requests received by AIMaC’s help-line. It is a virtual place where those who faced or are facing cancer can meet, share their experiences and discuss. It is a free and open space in which moderators, five psychologists, are intended to ensure and facilitate free exchange within the rules of the forum. • www.oncoguida.it , a website realized in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Health: a tool to discover easily where to go for diagnosis, treatments, psychological support, rehabilitation and care, to pain and to assert their rights. www.oncoguida.it consists of 20,000 entries and 5,000 addresses. It is useful for cancer patients and their families, physicians, volunteers, administrators and health care institutions. MEMBERSHIP AIMaC is a founder member of:  ECPC, the European Cancer Patients Coalition  F.A.V.O., the Italian Federation of Volunteer-based Cancer Organizations. AIMaC is also member of:  UICC (Union for International Cancer Control)  ACC (Alleanza contro il Cancro, the network of Italian cancer and research institutes that was established by the Ministry of Health in 2002);  International Cancer Information Service Group Furthermore, AIMaC has established close contacts with large organizations like MacMillan Cancer Support’s (UK), CIS, the Cancer Information Service of NCI (USA), ICISG (International Cancer Information Service group) and numerous others on a national and international level