A new report, published as part of the EU-funded STRONG-AYA project, highlights a series of lessons and recommendations to provide a brighter future for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. Entitled ‘Caught in the Middle’, the report is the result of an extensive stakeholder forum.
Read moreEach year, more than 150,000 individuals belonging to the Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) age range of 15 to 39 years old are diagnosed with cancer in the EU. They represent a unique group, facing cancer-related struggles such as pain, anxiety, or infertility, which interplay with age-related difficulties such as unemployment, or a lack of financial stability.
Read moreIn recent years, crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have had a significant impact on cancer patients, emphasising the need for global collaboration in response. To that end, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has created a new Focused Topic Network on Emergencies and Crises so that the cancer community can better anticipate and prepare for the urgent needs of cancer patients in emergency situations.
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The Council of the European Union has adapted a groundbreaking set of recommendations to increase vaccination rates against both the human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus (Hep B) and combating cancers caused by these two viruses. The measures were agreed upon today on during a meeting of the EPSCO (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council) in Brussels, and are crucial for advancing our efforts to prevent cancer across Europe.
Key recommendations to member states include:
These measures are part of the broader Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and effort to reduce the vaccine-preventable cancers. Daniel Kelly and Margaret Stanley, co-chairs of the ECO HPV and Hep B Action Network, had this to say:
'The newly published Council Recommendation is welcome and shows a clear commitment from Member States to overcome current barriers and expand access to HPV and HBV vaccination. However, more can still be done, especially to increase HPV coverage by establishing a target for the vaccination of boys.' - Daniel Kelly
'Leveraging data-driven decision-making and setting clear vaccination targets represents a huge step forward. These recommendations can enhance our efforts to prevent vaccine-preventable cancers and protect future generations.’ – Margaret Stanley
These recommendations are crucial for advancing our efforts in cancer prevention across Europe. Find the full adopted document here.
Read moreIn the wake of increasing recognition of inequalities affecting healthcare, addressing inequalities in oncology for LGBTIQ identities is a topic that has only recently received attention within the healthcare sphere. This report presents outcomes from a workshop organised by the Inequalities Network of the European Cancer Organisation, dedicated to exploring and addressing the inequalities faced by LGBTIQ individuals within the realm of oncology.
Read moreTo mark Pride Month, The European Cancer Organisation (ECO), through its Inequalities Network, has released a timely report on reducing disparities in cancer care faced by the LGBTIQ community. The report, titled ‘Cancer Care for the LGBTIQ Community: Addressing Inequalities’, is the result of a comprehensive workshop involving clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and LGBTIQ advocates.
Read moreInequities in cancer care persist for LGBTIQ individuals, affecting their access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship services. This is shown by the recent publication of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, “LGBTIQ at a crossroads: progress and challenges”, which has shown that compared to general population, not only LGBTIQ people have lower rates of mammography (10% vs 36% of general population) and cervical uptake (27% vs 36% of general population), but they also showed higher rates of cancer diagnoses in the previous year, especially for Intersex people who in the year previous to the survey, had showed a cancer diagnosis rate of 2%, compared to the 0.6% of the general population in the same period.
Read moreThe following ECO Focused Topic Network meetings will take place in June: