Kathi Apostolidis
Past President and Scientific Committee Chair
What this (really) means:
Leading a large, committed, involved in many aspects of cancer and very active European patient umbrella organization can be challenging at times. It gives me the opportunity to put my knowledge, experience and skills at the service of European cancer patients and families.
Lots of hurried travels for meetings, tens of pages for reading and writing/reviewing long documents! but also a friendly, collegial, supportive, highly professional board and Secretariat. One day I will write an essay on “One day in the life of a volunteer cancer patient advocate”…
Background:
Public Affairs Consultant with broad and diversified experience in regulatory and public affairs, trade diplomacy, strategy, marketing and communications. At the national level I am a founding member and President of the Hellenic Cancer Coalition-ELLOK (ellok.org) and a Director/Board Member of other Greek cancer patient associations. Honored to represent cancer patients at the Board of Directors of the recently legalized and under establishment Greek National Cancer Institute and in the Patient Registries Committee of the Greek Ministry of Health. Also member of the National Network of Precision Medicine representing cancer patients. Surviving breast cancer twice, I have been involved for many years in cancer policy advocacy, survivorship and cancer patient rights advocacy on the national and international level. My advocacy covers issues of access to cancer care, health technology assessment, digital technology in cancer care, informed shared decision making in cancer, patient involvement in cancer research, cancer care delivery, health and digital literacy, patient safety.
Why Cancer?
Because it concerns all of us and has affected me and my family in many ways and because I believe that change will be possible by informed, committed and actively involved citizens.