Europe's Beating Cancer Plan: A unique opportunity to put paediatric cancers at the top of the agenda. 

 

The European Union (EU) has launched a brand-new  policy initiative entirely dedicated to cancer: The EU Beating Cancer Plan.

 

ABOUT

To be finalised by the end of 2020, the EU Beating Cancer Plan is set provide a strategic outlook for EU action on cancer and a framework of reference for Member States’ action. 

The EU Beating Cancer Plan was launched by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on World Cancer Day (4 February 2020) in a visionary address, which you can view here (start: 0:07:00) or read the transcript here.  

 

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: A EUROPE FOR AND WITH CITIZENS

This is a unique opportunity to make sure that children and adolescents with cancer, survivors and their families, are included in the EU and member states’ agenda in a manner that is tailored to their urgent and specific needs.

There is a public consultation process for individuals and organisations to provide views and help co-create the EU Beating Cancer Plan.

EU Cancer Plan Public Consultation: Deadline extended to 21 May 2020 (CLOSED)

(Open comment on the EU Cancer Plan roadmap/concept note: Deadline 3 March 2020 CLOSED)

 

1. EU Cancer Plan Public Consultation (deadline 21 May 2020) CLOSED

• Guidance on responding to the Questionnaire consultation: find it here
• Overview of key messages from SIOPE – working version: find it here
• SIOPE response to 2nd Public Consultation – Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: find it here

 

2. EU Cancer Plan Roadmap Consultation (deadline 3 March 2020) CLOSED

• Guidance on responding to the consultation: find it here 
• SIOPE messages embedded in the EU Cancer Plan roadmap text: read it here
• SIOPE response to Roadmap Consultation – Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: find it here

 

REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

• Position paper: Beating Cancer in Europe: Let’s not forget our children and adolescents (Feb 2020)
• A European paediatric cancer mission: aspiration or reality (Sept 2019)
• European Elections Manifesto of the Paediatric Cancer Community  (March 2019)
• SIOP Europe Strategic Plan: A European Cancer Plan for Children and Adolescents (Sept 2015)
• European Standards of Care for Children with Cancer (Oct 2009)  

 

CONTACT

The SIOP Europe office remains available for any questions to facilitate contribution to this important initiative.  For any questions, please contact: olga.kozhaeva@siope.eu

 

NOTES ON PAEDIATRIC & ADOLESCENT CANCER

The major issues are underserved: focused actions should end inequities

• Cancer remains the first cause of death by disease in Europe in children older than 1 year - more than 35,000 cases are diagnosed and over than 6,000 young patients die annually
• While improvements in cure rates have been achieved for some childhood cancers with the stringent and concerted use of old older chemotherapeutics (about 80% off-label) over decades alongside with local control modalities (surgery, radiotherapy) little progress has been made in the cure rate of several other paediatric malignancies and there is a lack of innovation for better cure overall
• Age-related specificities call for tailored approaches to paediatric cancer over and above the cross-cutting issues shared with the adult cancer sector 
• There are nearly half a million childhood cancer survivors in Europe, with the majority experiencing adverse long-term effects with increasing incidence over lifetime, hindering their daily life and participation in activities in relation to that of their peers, that are largely related to treatment approaches used in the last decades.
• There are substantial inequalities in access to the best available care and expertise across Europe causing up to 20% differences in survival rates among European countries