During ECCO-ESMO 2015, the Presidents of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes and of the European Cancer Patients Coalition, signed the agreement establishing the terms of collaboration for the coming years. ECPC and OECI are two major complementary actors in the fight against cancer and against all the cancer-related issues in Europe, combining similar objectives about quality of care, respect of patients’ wishes, research and innovation.
The agreement is a milestone in the European challenge to ensure timely and affordable access to the best treatment and care available to all European cancer patients, throughout their life. The topic is often argument of discussion at national and European level and the two signing Organisations are now engaged to move from theory to practice, giving concrete and measurable results to the expectations of the patients and their families.
To increase the empowerment of European cancer patients, the agreement will work on a better dissemination of information, to ensure that state-of-the-art cancer care practices are shared across the EU and to support the concept that cancer is a priority for actions on the European health policy agenda.
The two Organisations shall coordinate and cooperate in carrying out activities of common interest included in their annual work program, with the purpose of avoiding duplication of efforts, reducing in the same time the costs. The collaborating activities will be undertaken by the organization of seminars and round tables, collaboration on joint projects, training courses and joint publications. The joint initiatives will include, but are not limited, to the following topics: patient safety, biobanking, palliative care, patients’ participation in clinical trials, patients’ empowerment, standards of care.