Belgium aims to double cancer survival rates by 2040, relying on the country’s current cancer control, despite calls from pharmaceutical companies for new strategies. Belgian Health Minister Van den Broucke said it was preferable to implement existing strategies rather than develop a new national plan.
The impact of cancer on the Belgian population is severe. Belgium ranks 6th out of 27 EU countries for cancer incidence, surpassing heart disease and vascular disease as the leading cause of death from 2020 onwards. Nevertheless, cancer survival increased slightly by 5%. 15 years from 2004 to 2019.
“Despite scientific advances, important work remains, not only in the biomedical field, but in all aspects of cancer control,” Vandenbroucke told EURACTIV. I don’t think we need to create countermeasures from scratch. We need to further implement our current strategies.”
Among various health priorities, Mr Vandenbroucke confirmed that tackling cancer is a priority on the national healthcare agenda. He is working closely with Europe’s Cancer Elimination Plan to develop a powerful cancer plan that improves all aspects of cancer management and quality of life, from prevention and early detection to individualized treatment and support for patients and survivors. We are strongly advocating for further development.
request a new plan
The Belgian Cancer Foundation has an ambitious goal of doubling progress and increasing survival rates by 10% by 2040. However, there are obvious challenges to the process.
The Belgian Cancer Plan launched in 2008 has faced implementation hurdles, with the Belgian Cancer Barometer set to be published in 2022. This publication advocates for the creation of a new national plan to address the evolving cancer treatment landscape.
The Foundation also called on governments to prioritize the fight against cancer in their 2024 agenda. Pharma.be, which represents around 130 innovative Belgian pharmaceutical companies, echoes the call for a new fight against cancer.
Economic discrimination for cancer survivors
An often overlooked but important aspect of the fight against cancer is combating the economic discrimination endured by survivors, which is a key priority of the European Commission’s Cancer Elimination Plan. More than 20 million Europeans have survived cancer, and many continue to face economic discrimination long after treatment.
Belgium was the second country. The country is set to follow France’s lead in enacting legislation to protect cancer survivors’ right to be “forgotten” when applying for a range of financial services, including travel insurance, home loans, and personal and business loans. To date, only eight European member states have adopted legal measures to combat economic discrimination against cancer survivors.
At a recent conference by the European Initiative on the Elimination of Discrimination against Cancer Survivors, under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Vandenbroucke said cancer patients should not pay twice for a cancer diagnosis. I echoed the strong message from EU Health Commissioner Kyriakides that there is no such thing. .
“This is not just about compassion. It’s the evidence that matters,” Vandenbroucke said. “Scientific data proves that many cancers are curable and treating patients with different treatments is not justified. Why should financial institutions do this?” he said. asked the question.
Aiming to do more in the fight against cancer
Mr Kyriakides stressed the need for Europe to aim for more in the fight against cancer. “We need to ensure that people not only survive, but live long lives without disability,” she said.
Young adults in particular are severely affected by a cancer diagnosis. Central to Belgium’s cancer plan is the establishment of specialized reference centers designed to meet the unique needs of young cancer patients.
“We decided to develop a reference center specifically aimed at adolescents and young adults affected by cancer. We primarily aim to provide excellent psychosocial support alongside first-class medical care. We are focused on delivering,” Vandenbroucke explained.
Vandenbruecke also emphasized the importance of addressing the needs of young people and eliminating smoking from the lives of children and adolescents.
“I strongly advocate for a strong anti-tobacco policy within the Belgian government. We are implementing an ambitious anti-smoking plan that includes a significant increase in tobacco taxes from January 1,” he added. Ta.
“We have a comprehensive cancer strategy that covers a wide range of elements and aspects. We are working on that strategy, in parallel with the EU’s cancer elimination plan.”
Rewrite the script with the patient
While Vandenbroucke fights in his own corner within the government, Belgian patient advocacy groups are calling for a stronger patient voice in the policy process. Stephan Gissels, director of the Belgian Center for Patient Expertise, calls for health policy to be co-designed with patients.
Dr. Gissels emphasized the critical need for patient organizations to play a formal role in healthcare decision-making, and that without their participation, cancer policies and outcomes will continue to fall below their potential. He emphasized that. “Listening to patients is the most important priority and the real low hanging fruit when it comes to achieving outcomes.”
More than half of all patients do not have sufficient information about the outcome of their treatment, he said. “Patients are not receiving information about how to live with the disease, which has a huge impact on treatment adherence. The list of problems is long, but it is simply because we are not listening to patients. “And these issues remain under the radar of our health care system. This is the number one thing that needs to change,” he said.
[By Nicole Verbeeck, Edited by Vasiliki Angouridi, Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]
