George Kapetanakis
Secretary to the Board
What this (really) means:
The pathway to improving cancer care, eliminating inequalities, and accessing innovative therapies for all European cancer patients goes through a common European strategy and approach, which should be implemented, particularly in countries with low budgetary potential. The European Beating Cancer Plan is the gateway that we, as patient advocates, must utilize, working systematically and methodically, to succeed in our mission.
Background:
When I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2010, facing the difficulties and challenges cancer patients face in my country, I realized that nothing would change if we did not take the first step ourselves. In 2015, together with other patients who had the same vision as me, we set up the Hellenic Cancer Federation, an umbrella organization, that today represents cancer patients’ organizations in our country. Since the same year, I have been actively participating in and supporting all ECPC activities, while at the same time encouraging other associations to become members and to strengthen the voice of cancer patients in Europe. Professionally, I work in the financial industry as a securities broker.
Why Cancer
Until recently, although cancer directly affects one in three people, and is the most significant systemic risk to health systems, governments did not give it the attention it deserved. The policies implemented so far are usually limited to firefighting and not to long-term structural adjustments. The need for a holistic approach to cancer, as evidenced by Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, is now more urgent than ever and patient participation can be the catalyst for its implementation, and guarantee a more patient-centred view.
