The ITALIAN ASSOCIATION of Medical Oncology (ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA di Oncologia Medica, AIOM) was founded in Milan on November 7, 1973 by 20 founding members.
The Association aims at bringing together Medical Oncology practitioners to promote their progress in the clinical, experimental and social assistance fields, to foster relationships between medical oncologists, general practitioners and specialists in other disciplines, to establish scientific relations with similar Italian and foreign associations, and to participate in and collaborate with national, regional and local institutional bodies.
The Association also aims at promoting experimental and clinical research, primary prevention, secondary prevention (screening and early and timely diagnosis), the quality of oncological care, the continuity of care for cancer patients, interdisciplinarity, rehabilitation, palliative therapies and home care. In particular, AIOM intends to contribute to the technical-professional and managerial training of medical oncologists and healthcare workers, and to promote the creation of intra and extra-hospital accredited facilities to provide assistance to cancer patients.
AIOM is based in Milan and is made up of over 2,500 members (founding members, effective members, associate members, honorary members), and is administered by a Board of Directors consisting of 12 members: the President, the President-elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, eight Directors and two Auditors.
The AIOM Board of Directors is designated by online elections and remains in office for 2 years. From 1974 to 2017, 19 Presidents and 23 Boards of Directors were appointed.
The AIOM Regional Sections have been established since 1981, in order to further promote the objectives of the Association. Each of these brings together all the AIOM members who carry out their professional activity in the Region. The REGIONAL COUNCIL, consisting of a coordinator, a secretary, a treasurer and regional councilors representing each province, is responsible for the management of each section. The Regional Sections promote, at a local or interregional level, professional refresher courses or scientific meetings.
AIOM is a member of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and of the Federation of Italian Medical and Scientific Societies (FISM), and it was one of the first scientific institutions to obtain the ISO 9001 certification back in the year 2000.
The AIOM STATUTE was changed on 2 October 2017, in Milan, following the legislative changes of 2017. The Gelli-Biondi Law (8 March 2017, published in the Official Journal) concerning the “Provisions on care and patient safety, as well on the professional responsibility of healthcare professionals”, in article 5 reads as follows: «When providing healthcare services, healthcare professionals… shall comply, subject to the particularities of the individual case, with the recommendations provided by the published guidelines… and produced by public and private bodies, by scientific societies, and by technical-scientific associations of healthcare professions registered in a special list established and regulated by a Decree of the Minister of Health… ».
ARTICLE 6, concerning the criminal liability of healthcare professionals, also states that: «… if the event has occurred due to inexperience, criminal liability shall be excluded when the recommendations set forth by the guidelines… or, in the absence of these, good clinical assistance practices, are complied with, provided that the recommendations set out in the aforementioned GUIDELINES are adequate to the particularities of the specific case».
On AUGUST 2, 2017 the Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin signed the Ministerial Decree (published in the Official Journal) establishing and regulating the list of scientific societies and technical-scientific associations of health professions that will be responsible for producing the guidelines with which healthcare professionals shall comply when providing their services. The Decree, therefore, implements one of the most significant points of the Galli Law and lays down the REQUIREMENTS that Scientific Societies and associations shall meet to be included on the list. AIOM was the first scientific company to submit the application for registration on this list (22/10/2017).
Presently, AIOM has two strategic objectives:
- producing GUIDELINES with specific purpose, organization, SIGN/GRADE methodology, multidisciplinarity, declaration of conflict of interest by the authors, independence, yearly periodic update, publication on the AIOM website, and implementation assessment – since 2012;
- carrying out continuing education (CME) activities for its members, promoting congresses and conferences, training and refresher courses on a national level, with the participation of leading speakers from Italy and abroad, as well as regional or interregional events.
Moreover, AIOM has been one of the first scientific societies to promote meetings and courses aimed at retraining the nursing staff (AIOM Working Group). The corporate activity of the Association translates at an operational level into special projects, working tables and working groups.
Moreover, AIOM has a PRESS OFFICE to promote its own image and maintain contact with press organizations, as well as to hold press conferences during major congresses.
On the AIOM website you will find the AIOM Guidelines, the volumes edited by AIOM in pdf format, and the AIOM position papers. A selection of the daily press review is readily available, along with a section dedicated to CLINICAL TRIALS listing the ONGOING CLINICAL TRIALS in Italy, for the needs of patients and oncologists.
A non-profit Foundation, called “FONDAZIONE AIOM”, was established on the initiative of AIOM in 2005, with the purpose of:
- promoting, facilitating and supporting independent clinical research in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment;
- acting as a link between oncologists and patients;
- informing patients and citizens;
- dealing with patient volunteer associations.
A limited liability company called AIOM Servizi srl was established in 2005, with AIOM being the sole shareholder. AIOM Servizi srl is responsible for managing the events and the initiatives in the biomedical field, and specifically in oncology, assigned or indicated to it by AIOM.
Francesco Perrone
AIOM National President
Rome, 13 November 2023
