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EC Publishes ‘Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’ Detailing 4 Key Areas for Action

Date: February 4, 2021 | Country: BELGIUMFRANCEITALYSPAIN | Region: EU27EUROPE | Type: Policy | Keywords: #action #cancer #care #commission #life #of #oncology #quality

PRICENTRIC BRIEF:

  • The European Commission has presented its new “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan,” which tackles four key areas for improvement along the whole of the oncology pathway
  • The document details a new approach to the standard of care for cancer patients, covering prevention, quality of life and adding value for patients
  • In October 2020, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggested that despite recent advances in prevention, early detection, and treatment leading to improved survival of cancer patients, the rapid introduction of new oncology medicines has raised concerns about the ability to provide and sustain affordable access, even among the wealthiest countries around the globe

THE DETAILS

BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Commission has presented its new “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan,” which tackles four key areas for improvement along the whole of the oncology pathway.

The document details a new approach to the standard of care for cancer patients, covering prevention, quality of life and adding value for patients.

As such, the four main areas are detailed in the plan as follows:

  • Prevention: Through actions addressing key risk factors such as tobacco harmful alcohol consumption, environmental pollution, and hazardous substances.
  • Early detection: Improving access, quality and diagnostics and support Member States ensuring that 90% of the EU population who qualify for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings are offered screening by 2025.
  • Diagnosis and treatment through actions to ensure better integrated and comprehensive cancer care and addressing unequal access to quality care and medicines.
  • Improve the quality of life of cancer patients and survivors, including rehabilitation, potential tumor recurrence, metastatic disease, and measures to support social integration and re-integration in the workplace.

Through 10 flagship initiatives and multiple supporting actions, an additional €4 billion will be allocated for addressing cancer care from organizations like EU4Health, Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe program.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: “In 2020, while we were all fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were fighting a silent battle. The battle against cancer. In 2020, we lost 1.3 million Europeans to this disease. And sadly, the number of cases is on the rise. This is why we present Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan today. The fight of those battling cancer is our fight as well, in Europe.”

In addition to the deaths, 2.7 million people in the European Union were diagnosed with the disease in 2020.

Cancer Drug Access in EU

In October 2020, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggested that despite recent advances in prevention, early detection, and treatment leading to improved survival of cancer patients, the rapid introduction of new oncology medicines has raised concerns about the ability to provide and sustain affordable access, even among the wealthiest countries around the globe.

A study from the group showed that novel oncology medicines raise a number of challenges for policymakers because of high and increasing uncertainty at the time of marketing authorization.

The European Commission-supported survey notes that various strategies have, however, been adopted to mitigate difficult pricing of products with multiple indications of variable cost-effectiveness; pricing of products used in combination regimens; and budget impact driven by increasing volumes and prices of oncology medicines.

 

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