Unfortunately, the prestige of specialists in medical oncology fell significantly after the numerous events with criminal connotations which have occurred in a fast rhythm in the last time.

We are not the only ones in the world who have such problems. So, I would like to mention the case of a doctor exposed by the prestigious medical site “Medscape”: “Oncology Societies Warn of Distortion in Medicare Data Dump”. Dr. Farid Fata, in Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA, who received over $10 millions in Medicare payments in 2012, has been charged with healthcare fraud in a federal case that opened in August 2013. The criminal case against dr. Fata included numerous reports that he gave chemotherapy to patients who did not need it, and that he told patients that, once they had chemotherapy, “they had to have it for the rest of their lives”.

It is well known that the gutter press exaggerate and distort reality, but as they say: “There’s no smoke without fire”.

The prestige of medical oncologists must be regained. Of course, the great majority of them are working silently, are fighting against death, fighting with shortcomings of all kinds and with a  continuous “reform”.

I have told you that medical oncology cannot be separated from research. Clinical research - when we talk about a disease that has so many unknown elements - is a sine qua non process in medical oncology. In a period of probationary practice carried out in Switzerland I found out, with the true astonishment, that doctors took 4 weeks a year holiday, from which two were handwriting dedicated to medical items.

I understand their egos, their indifference, the first priority being personal problems, their material impulse, but I don’t understand their lack of interest for an intellectual progress, for a spiritual progress, the lack of a tiny professional ego, especially from those who work in the “big institute of oncology in Romania”.

Only by few viewpoints and selfishness, or fury persecution, we can’t win the prestige we want.

I don’t want to be misunderstood.

Thank you to all those who sent articles for this journal!  

The recent Conference in Medical Oncology of our National Society for Medical Oncology of Romania (SNOMR) demonstrates our ability to meet medical oncology specialists from all over the country for the presentation and discussion of the newest advances in this medical specialty.

We are pleased this year we could organize again an ESMO labeled symposium.