European Code of Cancer Practice

The European Code of Cancer Practice is a new tool for empowering citizens and cancer patients with ten key overarching rights, signposting what cancer patients should expect from their health system.

Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said:

“The co-creation of the European Code of Cancer Practice by patients and healthcare professionals is about partnerships. Partnership between health care professionals and patients all working together to improve the realities of cancer.

This is an initiative that brings all together at the same table where decisions are made. From our side, with our upcoming Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the new EU4Health Programme and the forthcoming Pharmaceutical Strategy, we are working in the same direction as the European Code of Cancer Practice by promoting Equal Access, Quality of Life, Survivorship and other important rights.

Today is another important day in the shared work we are all committed to in creating a better future for cancer patients across Europe. Today is another important step in each cancer patients journey.”

A huge thank you to EU Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, for not only presenting during The Code launch event on 23 September 2020 but also for staying until the end to listen to all the contributions. Many thanks to all of our speakers around Europe for their insight and support!

Now we have launched these ten overarching rights for patients, we will start work on ensuring that they are implemented across Europe and for that we would like to ask for your help. The Code is already available on our website in 12 languages, with more coming soon. If you would like to help us translate to languages not yet listed on our website, please contact us here.

If your organisation would like to join the others that have already endorsed The Code and are shown here, please let us know and we can ensure your support is recognised in our communications. We are also in the process of making plans for promotions and activities to promote The Code on a national basis once Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan has been published in December. If you or your organisation would like to get involved in that planning, please let us know.

We will have more updates in the coming weeks, including at the European Cancer Summit on 18-19 November and we hope to see you there! Please register at the Special Rate before 30 September, if you have not done so already.

Finally, thanks to the dedicated experts who volunteer their time to the European Cancer Organisation through their Member Societies, Patient Advocacy Groups and our Focused Topic Networks.

More information about the European Code of Cancer Practice is available here.