CEV member organisations
Portugal: Portuguese League Against Cancer – South Branch (LPCC-NRS) (Associate Member 
)
Contact information
Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro – NRS
Rua Professor Lima Basto
1099-023 Lisboa
Portugal
Tel: +351 217 264 099
Fax: +351 217 263 363
E-mail: nucleosul[at]ligacontracancro.pt
Website: www.ligacontracancro.pt
Member information
The Portuguese League Against Cancer (Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro – LPCC) with a national head-office in Lisbon, was legally founded on 4th April 1941, as a volunteer support centre to the Portuguese Institute of Cancer of Lisbon, with two main objectives: Humanisation and Solidarity.The Portuguese League Against Cancer is a private non-profit non-governmental organisation (NGO), declared by the law of public utility in 1985, that promotes the primary and secondary prevention of cancer, the social support and the humanisation of the patient to the oncologist and research and training in oncology.
Concerning the large action to be developed at a national level, in 1965 five Regional Branches were established with head offices in Oporto (north branch), Coimbra (central branch), Lisbon (south branch), Funchal (Madeira branch) and Angra do Heroísmo (Azores branch). These 5 branches have administrative and financial autonomy, being responsible for the development of the League’s activities in their regions, allowing better adjustment to the proper characteristics of each geographical area and their populations.
Activities
- the Movement supports ostomate patients under the responsibility of specialised technical staff
- the Movement (MoVaplar) supports laryngectomee patients in the pre and post operative situation, (with the collaboration of some laryngctomee volunteers), and with Speech Therapy
- the Movement (Vencer e Viver – Reach to Recovery) supports all women from the moment breast cancer is diagnosed. Its purpose is the personal contact between these women and a volunteer who has lived through a similar situation and the physical and emotional support of them, their family and friends, thus promoting an improvement in quality of life
- unity of Domiciliary Assistance, made by doctors and nurses
- social support giving financial and material help to oncologist patients
- health education and cancer prevention campaigns in schools
- Secondary Prevention with the Breast Cancer Screening Programme on women between 45 and 69 years old
- financial support to scientific research projects in Oncology
- Um Dia Pela Vida, based on the International Relay for Life Programme of the American Cancer Society.
The South Branch has thirteen different Volunteer Services, four support groups and three Assistance Movements. The latter are present in six regions of the South Branch’s geographical area. In order to become a Volunteer of the South Branch, the applicant needs to attend a specific training course and have seven months training with a final evaluation by the training tutor, which will allow the decision on their physical and emotional/psychological ability to become a Volunteer. The South Branch has 460 Volunteers divided between 4 Hospitals and offers them continuous training trough the discussion of different themes lectured by experts, in order to improve their performance with the patients and their relatives.
