On 17 June 2016, participants from all over Europe, including ECPC President Prof Francesco De Lorenzo went to Berlin for the third time for an in-depth discussion under the title “Current developments in cancer care: including the patient perspective”. Acknowledging the impressive changes and development in cancer care, the German Cancer Society (DKG) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) were once again able to welcome a group of high-level experts to focus on the role and needs of the patient in cancer treatment.
Prof De Lorenzo contributed to the debate with a presentation on the importance of increase access to innovative treatments and its relation to survivorship care. “Survivorship is a ticking bomb: the sights and needs of the growing population of survivors are not sufficiently taken into consideration” said Prof De Lorenzo during his presentation.
The participants agreed on the value of patient views and perspectives in the whole continuum of cancer care. Access to treatment, high-level of communication and transparency, as well as the inclusion of patients into the developing-process of guidelines were identified as relevant aspects. Survivorship will be a new challenge not only for the health-caresector but for society and the workplace as well. More awareness to the needs of this group is required.
Results of the Meeting will be disseminated in the coming weeks through the European Journal of Cancer (EJC).
The German Cancer Society (DKG), in cooperation with UICC, will organise a fourth meeting in 2017.
Download the full report clicking here.
Download Prof De Lorenzo’s presentation clicking here.