The Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society

This organisation was established in 1971. In 1976 the Society established the Arodaphnousa Hospice in Nicosia, which was dedicated to nursing patients dying of cancer. From late 1991 the organisation started to offer home care, through the services of hospice nurse, Neophyta Kouppi, who had completed a palliative care training course at St Christopher’s Hospice UK. Over the last 10 years hospice staff have developed a multi-professional palliative care team, including 5 separate teams for a daytime home care service and a lymphoedema clinic. In 2000 the hospice was officially recognised as a palliative care centre. Through the hospice, the Society has developed and now funds the 18 bed in-patient service, the home care service, and since 1998 has opened day care centres in Nicosia, Limassol, Paphos and Famagusta.²⁸ The Society funds public education programmes such as the ‘Non-smokers League’, ‘Quitline’, a call-in stop smoking service and also a stop smoking clinic, and public lectures on cancer prevention. It also funds specialist training and education for health professionals working in palliative care and oncology in Cyprus.

The Cyprus Association of Cancer Patients and Friends (PA.SY.K.A.F)

This association was founded in 1986 by anaesthetist, Dr Anna Achilleoudi, who was herself a breast cancer survivor, together with a small group of women dedicated to 'the improvement and safeguarding of the quality of life of cancer patients and their families'.²⁹ In 1992 the Association was keen to develop palliative care by setting up a home care service, and employed a British clinical nurse specialist with palliative care training and experience, Jane Kakas, to start the first team, based in Nicosia. Through the combined effort of many health professionals and administrators the Association has since funded the development of offices in 5 districts around the Greek Cypriot south, from which they run teams for home care, day care and psychosocial support. The three aims of the Association are:

• to promote awareness about prevention and early detection of cancer to the public, for instance, publishing leaflets about going to have regular checkups and healthy eating
• to educate health professionals in cancer care and palliative care
• to provide patient services such as home care for cancer patients, over the age of 16, at any stage of the disease.

There is also a small organisation called ‘Friends for Life’ in Limassol, whose members plan to raise funds for a new hospice and day care service in the area.³⁰