III. Relationship Between the Center and Other WHO Collaborating Centers

WHO Collaborating Centre for Palliative Care, Oxford, UK:
In 1997, the Center was invited to participate in an international consensus meeting of experts sponsored by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Palliative Cancer Care in Oxford, UK and hosted by its Director, Robert Twycross. The meeting resulted in a publication: Looking forward to cancer pain relief for all: international consensus on the management of cancer pain.⁵³

First Meeting of WHO Collaborating Centers in the Americas:
On October 9-10, 1998, the Center participated in the First Meeting of the WHO Collaborating Centers in the Americas, in Washington D.C. It was useful to learn about WHO's view of Collaborating Centers and how other Collaborating Centers function. It was apparent that the scope and amount of our Center's work compared favorably with that of other Centers.

WHO Booth at International Meeting:
In 1999, to maintain visibility of the WHO program and to enhance communication between Collaborating Centers, the Center invited WHO Collaborating Centers in cancer pain, palliative care, supportive care and quality of life to participate in presenting and staffing a WHO booth at the 9^th World Congress on Pain in Vienna, Austria. The Center appreciates donation of the booth space by the International Association for the Study of Pain, and coverage of other costs by the United States Cancer Pain Relief Committee.

Several Collaborating Centers participated, including the WHO Collaborating Center for Cancer Control and Palliative Care (Milan, Italy), the WHO Collaborating Center on Quality of Life in Cancer (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), the WHO Collaborating Center in Supportive Cancer Care (Houston, Texas), and the WHO Collaborating Center for Cancer Pain Relief and Quality of Life (Saitama, Japan). Each Center provided educational materials they had produced for distribution at the WHO booth.

The booth was centrally located and very popular. Many questions were answered, many contacts made, and many publications were distributed. This led to enhanced visibility for WHO and the WHO Collaborating Centers at a meeting attended by over 6,000 clinicians from around the world. The Center was invited to organize a similar booth at the European Association of Palliative Care Congress in Geneva in September of 1999.

WHO Collaborating Center for Cancer Pain Relief and Quality of Life:
In 1997, 1998 and 1999, the Center met with Dr. Fumikazu Takeda, head of the WHO Collaborating Center for Cancer Pain Relief and Quality of Life, in Tokyo to discuss progress and issues in opioid availability in the region. In March of 1998, the Center was invited by Dr. Takeda to participate in the "Saitama-Western Pacific Workshop on Cancer Pain Relief and Palliative Care" in Saitama, Japan. Mr. Joranson gave a presentation on "Drug regulation, drug dependence and morphine in cancer pain management." ⁵⁴

WHO Collaborating Center in Supportive Cancer Care:
In February of 1999, the Center was invited by Professor Charles S. Cleeland, head of the WHO Collaborating Center in Supportive Cancer Care to participate in a meeting in Houston to explore progress, needs and strategies for pain relief and palliative care.

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