Abstract
While Europe accounts for a tenth of the world's population, it holds a quarter of the world's cancer cases. In the current scenario that see an increase in the proportion of elderly population in the EU, lives lost to cancer in the EU are set to increase by more than 24% by 2035, making it the leading cause of death in the EU. The overall economic impact of cancer in Europe is estimated to exceed €100 billion annually. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted cancer care, disrupting prevention and treatment, delaying diagnosis and vaccination, and affecting access to medicines. Since the pandemic began, the number of cancer diagnoses has decreased, foreshadowing a future increase in cases. In response to such challenges, the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan (EBPC) published in 2021 reflects a political commitment to leave no stone unturned to take action against cancer. In the EBPC, there is a renewed commitment to invest in cancer prevention, treatment and care that recognises the growing challenges, and opportunities to overcome them, including the developments in cancer care. In order to implement the EBPC the European Commission will use all the related funding instruments of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) and it will be constantly guided from the experts of the Mission Board of Cancer. By establishing specific goals together with funding, the EU ensures the involvement of the Member States in tackling risk factors that are common to most non-communicable diseases. Simultaneously, there is a clear step towards health equity by collecting data stratified by equity-relevant attributes such as education or income. On another level, the focus on cancer might trigger new effective outcome-based payment models for personalised medicine, as well as better collection of data needed for a value-based approach on the effectiveness of health care. In the round table the panellists will discuss the opportunities and challenges of the EBCP implementation with the President of the Cancer Mission Board Walter Ricciardi, by addressing the epidemiological scenario of cancer disease in Europe and the related economic burden (Joao Vasco Santos), the role of the Comprehensive Cancer Control Networks and related Joint Action (Tit Albreht), and the readiness of the health services (Johan Hansen). KEY MESSAGES: • The implementation of the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan requires coordinated efforts among stakeholders with a clear leadership from Public Health Professionals. • Many externalities can be achieved through the EBCP as cancer has same determinants of most of the non-communicable diseases. SPEAKERS/PANELISTS: Walter Ricciardi Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Rome, Rome, Italy Tit Albreht National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia João Vasco Santos EUPHA-ECO Johan Hansen EUPHA-HSR