From Our CEO - Progress in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: Looking at the numbers

 

Through the development of the European Cancer Pulse, and associated activities like the production of European Cancer Pulse Country Reports and European Cancer Pulse Policy Indexes, ECO seeks to provide its contribution to achievement of data and evidence-led cancer policy in Europe.

In this vein, we take great interest in all new publications and reports that shed statistical light on how we fare in the shared European fight against cancer.

One such report that very much caught my eye in March was the publication of the Institute of Health Economics (IHE)’s ‘Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025 - Disease Burden, Costs and Access to Medicines and Molecular Diagnostics’

The statistics tell many stories that require our shared reflection:

• Between 1995 and 2022, new cancer cases in Europe increased by 58%, reaching 3.2 million.
• Among those under 65, cancer is the leading cause of death, responsible for 32% of all deaths in 2022
• Yet, surprisingly, cancer’s share of total healthcare expenditure has remained relatively stable at around 6-7% over the last decades, despite cancer overtaking cardiovascular diseases in disease burden in many European countries.

At the event to mark its publication, I elaborated on the tangible progress made by Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the European Cancer Mission. I also emphasised the importance of maintaining this momentum, along with the necessary funding, so we can build on the strong foundations laid by these initiatives for the benefit of cancer patients and the broader society.

Big debates are occurring presently in European politics, as new realities on many fronts are faced. A rapidly changing geo-political picture. Hard facts about comparative decline in European global competitiveness. Inter-mixed with long known challenges about demographics and social economics. European cancer policy is impacted by, and is connected to, all of these contexts. In turn:

• EU cancer policy is a tangible and live demonstration of the power of cross-border cooperation and the strength of preserving multi-national institutions.
• A competitive Europe is one in which cancer research thrives, barriers to progress are identified and actioned, and scientific progress translates to improved care at quicker speeds.
• The demographic challenge of cancer and the incidence charts are well known. Getting ahead of the demographic challenge means investing in cancer research and care early.
• Through mechanisms such as the European Cancer Inequalities Registry and the activities of OECD and IARC, our precision understanding of inequalities, as presented in the cancer care field, continues to sharpen. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is helping to demonstrate to all countries that social inequalities need not be accepted as a given. Targeted policy approaches can shift the needle.

The EU of the future is being built presently in this key year of constructing the next 2028-2035 multi-annual financial framework. As ECO, the cancer community at large, and the health sector, prepare to engage more fully with EU and national leaders about this, we must re-marshal our arguments, arm ourselves with the most salient of statistics and never take for granted the political understanding of the value of cross-border cooperation on cancer.

In 2019 our shared goal was presenting the vision of enhanced European cooperation on cancer. In 2025 we must convey the achievements and also the next steps. We look forward to sharing more with our community on this soon.

With best wishes,
Elisabetta
Elisabetta Zanon