On Wednesday 1 July 2020, the launch of the European Parliament Challenge Cancer Intergroup took place via webinar. The event was organised by the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC), which serves as the secretariat for the Intergroup, and which aims to create and develop ever-strengthening relationships between European institutions and the European cancer care community, and together with Member Societies, Patient Advocacy Committee and networks, facilitate collaboration and consensus on focused topics towards tangible and impactful policy improvement. Over 370 attendees participated in the event, which included discussions on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care, the Cancer Mission, and how policymakers and stakeholders can work together to improve cancer care across Europe. This first and only EU Parliamentary Intergroup on cancer will serve as a forum for MEPs from all political parties to engage in dialogue with patients, cancer survivors and carers, scientific and medical societies, research institutions, think tanks, medical practitioners and researchers, policy makers and leaders of the health industry, civil society at large, national governments and institutions. It will act as a two-way communication channel by holding hearings and debates and leading fact-finding missions on salient topics such as prevention, access to treatment, medicine shortages, cancer research on quality of life, innovation in cancer care, and survivorship. Despite efforts to address this issue in recent years, cancer remains one of the leading medical and societal challenges of our time. This is why the Commission has selected cancer as one of its five new Research and Innovation Missions of the EU. The goal of the Cancer Mission is to achieve 75% survival rate by 2030, from 47% today, by focusing on cancer prevention, treatment, survivorship care, social innovation and ensuring the reduction of existing inequalities in all abovementioned areas. Working hand in hand with the European Commission’s new policies as the Cancer Mission and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, which is expected to be published by the end of 2020, it will focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and quality of life of patients and survivors. With the launch of the Challenge Cancer Intergroup, MEPs show their strong support and political will to take action on cancer to the next level. Intergroup members will be able to dedicate themselves more fully to the fight against cancer and to engage in dialogue with patients, cancer survivors and carers, scientific and medical societies, research institutions, think tanks, medical practitioners and researchers, policy makers and leaders of the health industry, civil society at large, national governments and institutions. This new Intergroup was conceived by ECPC as a result of its ongoing commitment and involvement in supporting the “Mission” concept in Research and Innovation, adopted by the European Commission, together with prominent scientists, physicians and researchers, members of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences (EACS). ECPC, with its 450-member cancer patient organisations across the EU, will act as the intermediary between the EU Parliamentary Intergroup on Cancer and civil society at large. In its capacity as the Secretariat of the intergroup, ECPC will provide the members with access to real patient experience and a variety of European and national cancer stakeholders, while allowing citizens to express their needs directly to European policymakers. ECPC has the ability, across its pan-European network of organisations, to share knowledge, to influence public health and cancer policies.
