Cancer Comorbidities

Why it matters

Cancer-related complications and comorbidities are a highly significant, and in many cases fatal, burden on patients across Europe but are all too often neglected in policy and research.
Cancer is set to become a top health priority for the next five years in the EU, with both the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, having made clear that cancer will play a central role in their policy agenda and that the output will be an EU Beating Cancer Plan.

It is time to increase the attention given to cancer patients’ long-term well-being and quality of life, addressing the often debilitating comorbidities and complications of cancer, both in terms of the disease itself and its treatments. An increasing population of survivors with needs for long-term follow-up care and management of complications and comorbid conditions will place a substantial burden on health systems, as well as on informal carers who provide essential support to them.

What ECPC does

The Cancer Related Complications and Comorbidities Initiative is chaired by ECPC and brings together 31 EU level stakeholders on the joint statement “Making cancer-related complications and comorbidities an EU health priority.”

The statement calls on EU policy makers to make cancer complications and comorbidities a priority in the EU Cancer Plan and highlighting the effect cancer complications and comorbidities can have on a patient and their treatment.

During the European Week Against Cancer 2021, 29 members of the Cancer Related Complications and Comorbidities Initiative launched White Paper: The impact of cancer-related comorbidities on patient treatment, treatment efficacy, survivorship, and quality of life.

To join the initiative please contact eleonora.varntoumian@ecpc.org