Selamat Datang

Cancer has been one of leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Globocan 2020, it was reported that the global incidence of cancer is 19.3 million and the global cancer death is 10 million (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2021). The highest proportion of cancer incidence and death occur in Asia, where 59.5% of the global population live (Sung et al., 2021). Forty nine per cent of all cancer cases and 58.3% of cancer deaths are estimated to occur in Asia (Sung et al., 2021). This share of cancer deaths which is higher than that of cancer incidence is due to the higher case fatality rates in the Asian region.

The above figures show the magnitude of the cancer problem in Asia. Providing the care to such a large proportion of people remains a huge challenge for oncology nurses in Asia. Indeed, nurse is the largest group of healthcare workers in the oncology workforce who play crucial part in cancer care throughout the cancer trajectory, from cancer prevention to the end-of-life care. Nurses need to strive in providing the best quality care for all the people affected by cancer.

Caring, as the essence of nursing, needs to be at the heart of the oncology nursing practice. “Patients need and want deeper levels of nurse connection and caring. Healthcare depends on it. Society expects it. Nurses need it to sustain meaning in their practice.” (McClendon, 2017, pp 41). This notion rings true in oncology nursing care. Not only between the nurse and the cancer patients, the caregivers also play an important role in caring relationship. This is because they are the closest to the patients in providing care for the cancer patients in the long-term, especially when the patients need help with personal needs.

The discussions around caring of the nurse-cancer patients, the belonging of the cancer patient caregivers as a part of the care team for the cancer patients, and the collaboration of the oncology multidisciplinary team should be raised. It is pivotal as the key to more education in caring and collaboration in oncology nursing practice. The 6th Asian Oncology Nurses Association Conference aims to open up a discussion around these topics in a global stage of oncology. It is expected that more Asian oncology nurses can enhance their caring consciousness skills with the patients and can collaborate well with the caregivers, health professionals, and other collaborators in the oncology nursing practice.