Cancer - Europe's key health burden

Cancer affects us all. One in three Europeans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every day, over 5,000 European citizens receive a cancer diagnosis. With hardly any family spared from cancer, it is vital that the battle against cancer is a political priority at the European level – and again a priority for the European Parliament.

One in four Europeans will die of cancer. Cancer comes in around 300 different forms. With better prevention, screening and treatments, more Europeans could survive – or not even get cancer at all. However, the chance of surviving cancer is often affected by where you live, where you are treated, whether you have access to information, or whether you are strong enough to defend yourself in what often seems an impersonal system. Furthermore, there are some cancers where the  knowledge to prevent, treat or cure does not yet exist – but increased research could provide the answers.

It is an indispensable necessity of Member States and EU Institutions to collaborate to bring about change for cancer patients. Experts tell us that we now know how to prevent about 50% of all cancers – and have the knowledge to provide timely and effective information, prevention, screening, treatment and care for all citizens. But are we really doing enough to achieve this?

Europe has been aware of the problems for more than a decade. But it needs political will. It is vital that strong MEPs continue their efforts to raise cancer and stimulate dialogues and actions between all parties.

About the Forum Against Cancer Europe (FACE)

The "Forum Against Cancer Europe" (FACE) has been set up to continue the successful work of the European cancer patient community with European Parliamentarians. It aims to learn about, debate and form policies geared towards cancer patients across cancers, regions and political parties. The work of FACE will consist of monitoring and supporting the work of the European Union in its fight against cancer. The concept behind FACE is to provide the human face of cancer through the voice of the cancer patients, to address many important issues in the EU that concern cancer, and present the faces (e.g. MEPs and EU Commission) that will take a lead on these topics. A number of MEPs are committed to follow one or more issues for the term of their legislature, for example on cancer research, cross border health care, rare cancers, clinical trials, palliative care etc.

The "Forum Against Cancer Europe" is an initiative by the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC). ECPC is representing more than 300 cancer patient groups across 42 countries, most in the EU Member States. It is run and governed by cancer survivors, is publicly audited, and is registered as a non-profit association in the Netherlands.

Please join us in our fight against cancer!

What MEPs can do

Cancer rates are set to increase dramatically due to Europe’s ageing population.
MEPs can support cancer patients by:

• Sending a strong political signal that immediate and concerted action is needed to reduce cancer rates by prevention and screening, and improve cancer outcomes.
• Ensuring that there is effective partnership across the EU, e.g. by achieving the objectives in the ‘European Partnership for Action Against Cancer’.
• Harnessing Community policies and instruments such as the Public Health Programmes and the Framework Research Programmes to the fight against cancer. We want to prevent those cancers that can be prevented and give patients the best chance, with early detection and best quality of treatment and care.
• Ensure that there is effective European policy action to tackle rare cancers that pose a particular threat to cancer patients and implement the 2008 Political Recommendation on Rare Diseases.
• Promoting publicity and information campaigns around the European Code Against Cancer and other relevant guidelines.
• Ensuring that best practice is shared across the EU and gaps that exist in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care between and within Member States are eradicated.
• Insisting that the Council Recommendations on Cancer are implemented.