Cancer education merits a coordinated, vertical curriculum and an inte
grated planning strategy. It has become clear that it is as important
to teach the techniques of supportive care in oncology as it is to tea
ch the concepts of cancer biology, pathology, epidemiology, prevention
, detection and aggressive treatments. Our aim is to determine whether
the medical school and nursing school curricula give the students an
introduction to the concepts of supportive care of the cancer patient.
The spectrum of such supportive care encompasses a wide range of issu
es working towards a common goal of providing overall comfort with an
emphasis on quality of life, and runs parallel with specific therapeut
ic strategies and associated problems. Do the graduate medical student
and nursing student understand that cancer management is multidiscipl
inary and team-based? That the approach to pain management not only in
cludes the administration of pain medications, hut should also evaluat
e pain assessment and anesthetic, neurosurgical and behavioral approac
hes? That nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy can he amel
iorated to a certain extent? That infections are common but algorithms
exist for prevention and therapy? That certain metabolic complication
s are unique to cancer patients? That transfusions are vital procedure
s in patients with neoplasms undergoing aggressive treatments but are
associated with certain risks and complications? That there are seriou
s psychosocial, ethical and legal needs to be considered? To address t
hese issues, the American Cancer Society Professors of Clinical Oncolo
gy, the American Cancer Society Professors of Oncology Nursing and the
United States Cancer Center Directors were surveyed. ID general, prof
essors perceived that education in cancer and its supportive care was
well done at their schools of medicine and nursing; however, students'
perceptions of their education differed from that of the professors.
The paper includes suggestions to curriculum directors of medical and
nursing schools for constructive changes with regard to instruction in
the techniques of supportive care in oncology.