Development of the follow patient movement in Poland in the example of associations of women after mastectomy (the Amazons)

The Amazons keep undertaking numerous actions dedicated to breast cancer patients and carry on broad scale activity connected with cancer prevention. One of the main aims of the survey research carried out in 2006 was to create a sociological portrait of the Amazons. Thus, important information was obtained, including the following: the associations’ leaders; social agents, characterizing the leaders; the organizations’ budgets, their size, length of active existence, spectrum of their activity and their localization. Also, information was obtained about the level of these organizations’ members’ activity, as well as the number of volunteers and their work. The research was done on all the associations of Amazons which have received legal status. The basic method of research was a mail survey. An additional method was an analysis of documents. As a final result, 61 fully completed survey charts were obtained, as well as the documents put within the research needs reach by these organizations. The analysis of the research material allowed the creation of a sociological profile of examined NGOs: these organizations are young and very small; most of these NGOs are of local character and have a very small budget; the number of active members in almost all organizations varies up to 50 persons; 57% of NGOs are supported to a large extent with the help of volunteers; the organizations’ presidents are all women aged between 46 and 65 years; 64% graduated at secondary level or at university. The analysis of data confirmed the legitimacy of considering the Amazons as the patient-to-patient movement.