The news reported below had already been disseminated last August and re-proposed as new by certain press bodies. We report it again by referring to the notes of the article "Doctors' conflict of interest with Big Pharma. Ed” published by us last August for more complete information.

Oncology, for the 68% of doctors there is a conflict of interest with the pharmaceutical industries

The survey was conducted by Cipomo, the Italian College of Primary Medical Oncologists and Hospitallers, and was published in the British Medical Journal.

From the survey, which involved 321 oncologists throughout Italy (equal to 13% of permanent oncologists), it emerged that 62% of oncology specialists stated he received direct payments by the pharmaceutical industry in the last 3 years.

Not only that: the 68% thinks that the majority of Italian oncologists have a conflict of interest with industry and 82% reports that the majority of its cancer education is supported by industry.

We talked about this data with Maria Chiara Tronconi, Humanitas oncologist who reports in full l'item inquiry into the matter.

ONCOLOGY AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY, A DANGEROUS RELATIONSHIP – The survey involving Italian oncologists underlined that the association between doctors and pharmaceutical industry it is potentially dangerous to the quality of medical care.

Cipomo then added that "a real urgency emerges, since among oncologists the conflict of interest is perceived as a important problem which can influence costs and quality of care” and spoke of the common desire for the implementation of a more rigorous policy between healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

“However, it must be emphasized that in recent years the relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical companies has already changed considerably – said Tronconi -, with ever greater attention paid to the common cause (well-being of the patient) with respect to their respective interests. This is well evidenced by the possibility of drawing on the more innovative medicines through the so-called "expanded access" clinical research programmes; through pharmaceutical companies it is therefore possible to administer the best medicines free of charge to our patients before they are distributed through the National Health System, thus acting as a bridge that allows us to overcome the not exactly short times (months or years) of the state bureaucracy and hook up the our hospitals to the most modern and effective international therapies”.

"Let's not forget - concluded the specialist - moreover the quantity of research programs subsidized precisely by pharmaceutical companies for billions of dollars, without which the marketing of the same innovative would never have been achieved anticancer treatments which we punctually use in our hospital wards”.

THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENT WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS – In addition to making statements, Cipomo has done more. The Italian College of Primary Hospital Medical Oncologists has taken a position, drawing up recommendations in an official document with the aim of "directing Oncology towards the principles of transparency and correctness, making clinicians develop a more precise awareness of the nature and potential consequences of the conflict of interest”.

The recommendations include the sphere of research, from “protect from the influence of commercial interests”. More generally, the document reads, the value of the interaction between industry and clinicians must be based on the "transmission of information useful for improving the quality of care and not for inducing prescriptions".

TRAINING AND NON-MARKETING – As for training, the official document of the oncologists stated that it "should not represent a marketing tool but improve the quality of clinical choices".

“The document – commented the president Cipomo Mario Clerico - does not want to be a denunciation but an invitation to awareness. The pharmaceutical industry sponsors medical conferences and contributes much of their education. Therefore, clinicians must pay particular attention when choosing between several possibility of treatment. The choice must be based on values and evidence, not on convenience”.

Related news: Conflict of interest among Italian medical oncologists: a national survey