The International Lymphoma Patient Charter has been created by the Lymphoma Coalition to ensure that the one million people living with lymphoma worldwide have access to the best available care, information and support. The number of lymphoma cases is increasing rapidly and there is a critical need for patients to be better informed about their disease.

The aim of the Charter is to help patients and their families all over the world get the necessary information to take an active role in the management of their lymphoma and gain a better awareness of what they can expect from their treatment and care.

The Charter states that all lymphoma patients are entitled to:

• Timely investigation and accurate diagnosis by medical experts with a speciality in blood diseases
• Have access to optimal treatment, based on accurate diagnosis, stage of the disease and current evidence-based medicine
• Regular follow-up care and close monitoring (because lymphoma can recur)
• Be provided with all necessary information regarding their diagnosis, treatment and overall disease management
• Be informed of all available support systems, including patient support tools and advocacy groups

Click here to read the full Patient Charter

How the Charter was developed

In December 2005, the Lymphoma Coalition convened a meeting of leading lymphoma experts from diverse geographic regions at the 47th American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference. This group discussed the issues surrounding lymphoma and outlined the universal standards of care that patients should expect, with the goal of enabling patients to become active, informed and empowered participants at every stage of their treatment. All parties noted that the current situation could be improved if those involved in the care and treatment of patients adopted the principals outlined in the Charter on a global scale.

The working committee consisted of 6 international Lymphoma Experts and 8 representatives of the Lymphoma Coalition.

The Lymphoma Coalition

The Lymphoma Coalition is a non-profit network organisation of lymphoma patient groups, which was established in 2003.  It is a global initiative, which currently has 27 members worldwide, dedicated to increasing awareness of lymphoma, and promoting the well-being of people affected by lymphoma worldwide. 

To help raise awareness of lymphoma and support for the International Lymphoma Patient Charter:

• Forward this page to your friends and family
• Contact a local lymphoma member group to see how you can get involved

Patient Charter Media Materials

To learn more about the International Lymphoma Patient Charter, click on the links below.

• International Lymphoma Patient Charter
• International Lymphoma Patient Charter Backgrounder
• A Closer Look at Lymphoma: Global Facts & Statistics
• Lymphoma Experts - biographies

‘Working committee’

The following individuals have been involved in the development of the Charter:

Lymphoma Experts

• Professor Bertrand Coiffier, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, France
• Professor Gilles Salles, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, France
• Professor Laurie Sehn, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Canada
• Professor Jacques Tabacof, Centro Paulista de Oncologia, Brazil
• Professor Marek Trerny, Charles University General Hospital, Prague
• Professor Max Wolf, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia

Lymphoma Coalition Representatives

• Sue Bliss, Lymphoma Research Foundation, United States
• Melanie Burfitt, Lymphoma Association, United Kingdom
• Pru Etcheverry, Leukaemia and Blood Foundation of New Zealand
• Ambrose Heaney, Lymphoma Support Ireland
• Dr Ulrike Holtkamp & Anita Waldmann, Deutsche Leukamie & Lymphom-Hilfe, Germany
• Dr Maurizio Martelli, Associazione Italiana Contro Le Leucemie-Linfomi e Mieloma, Italy
• Karen Van Rassel, Lymphoma Foundation Canada

¹ Ferlay J, Bray F, Pisani P and Parkin D.M. GLOBOCAN 2002;
Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide IARC CancerBase No. 5, version 2.0 IARCPress, Lyon, 2004

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