Cancon – Cancer Control Joint Action Policy Conference 2015

EUAA attended the Cancon 2015 in Brussels

EUAA was invited to First CanCon Joint Action Policy Conference on Cancer Survivorship, 13 May 2015, Brussels. Dr. med. Harsha Gramminger (President) and Dr. Madan Thangavelu  (Research) attended the conference. The events were held in the Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard, Brussels and organised by Cancer Society of Finland, Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) and M.E.P’s Against Cancer.

Sakari Karjalainen, Secretary General of the Cancer Society of Finland and Board member of the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), the co-organiser for this policy conference and his team opened the morning session on “Cancer Survivorship: a Policy Dialogue” and provided a brief introduction of the EU-funded programme. A further overview and future activities was provided by Ms. Maarit Rautio, Communications officer, Work Package 2 Cancon Joint Action, Cancer Society of Finland.

Dr. Maria Buchert, Department of Theology, University of Helsinki in her presentation “Cancer as a chronic disease: a patient’s perspective” – on her experiences as a cancer survivor then offered a personal account of a cancer-survivor – issues and suggestions for ways ahead. In the concluding session on ‘Comments from Cancon partners’ aimed at understanding “what more can Cancon do?” the gathering of representatives of approximately 30 stakeholder groups provided feedback to WP2 communications team. One of the desires expressed by many was the need to develop protocols for gathering and presenting cancer survivor stories.

The opening session of the afternoon session was chaired by Ms Joan Kelly, President, Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL)  and opened by Mr Markku Markkula, the President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

The session include presentations by Martin Seychell (Deputy Director General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission), Mr Aloz Peterle MEP (President PEPs Against Cancer, European Parliament), Sakari Karjalainen, Ms Joan Kelly and Dr Tit Albreht (CanCon Project Coordinator, Slovenian National Institute of Public Health), Ms Joan Kelly, President, Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) “Perspective on Cancer Control and Advocacy”, Dr Tit Albreht, CanCon Project Coordinator, National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia – Cancer Control Joint Action Overview and highlighted also the rationale for a large programme on skin cancer in youth and highlighted the need for prompt diagnosis and optimal treatment.

Prof Michel Coleman, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in his presentation on “Cancer survival trends and inequalities: what is the role for Europe?”, made a passionate call for the need for cancer registries and continued support and questioned some of the irrelevancies, inadequacies and issues surrounding the stringent informed consent clauses being considered. Julien Tognetti, National Cancer Institute, France in his presentation “Survivorship and National Example” provided details of the French National Cancer Initiative!

Panel Discussion on improving the quality of life of patients and survivors touched on:

• Role of Cancer Patients – Prof Francesco de Lorenzo, President, European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) and Isabelle Lebrocquy, Founder, Opuce
• Role of Cancer Leagues (Hedwig Verhaegen;  ‘Kom op tegen Kanker’, Flander Belgium)
• Role of Parliamentarians – Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Against Cancer, Dr Charles Tannock MEP
• Role of Employers (Dimitri Stoquaart, CEO, STOQUART)

The day ended with closing remarks by CanCon Dissemination leader Sakari Karjalainen.

One of the themes of immediate significance for EUAA was that of developing Personalised Rehabilitation and Survivorship Care Plan (PRSCP) and the possibility of defining an “European guide of quality improvement in comprehensive cancer control”.  Some of these goals are listed in an earlier presentation – To develop a European Framework for high-quality cancer survivorship care and rehabilitation that could be promoted at the EU level.

The European Code Against Cancer with 12 simple messages – with points to alert to prevention was highlighted – points of importance for both cancer survivors and also the community at large. Several messages about lifestyle as alluded to in Ayurveda and Yoga are relevant here and worthy of further consideration and promotion at the EU-level and perhaps also as the basis of future research projects on prevention outcomes.

Please share your views and thoughts at: research@euaa.eu

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