GRATUITOUSNESS A volunteer of the Italian League against Cancer works within a project foreseeing his/her presence with well defined roles and tasks that can be compared to those of health workers. During his/her assignment he/she follows behavioural ethics, the rules of which are collected in a Deontological Code.  Gratuitousness is the main feature of voluntary work and marks volunteers’ actions. Gratuitousness does not only means that a volunteer does not get any money for his/her work, it also means that he/she does not expect whatsoever benefit, favour, or reward out of it.    PROFESSIONAL SECRECY During his/her work, a volunteer gets to know confidential news about physical conditions, financial situation and family life of the patient he/she gets in touch with. Even though he/she is not a health worker, he/she is however bound to professional secrecy compelling him/her never to report to anybody the information he/she has heard. It is essential that he/she reports, to the medical team he/she belongs to, any news that might be useful for a better approach to the patient, pointing out the family’s possible needs or troubles.