"We need standardisation of care for cancer patients all across Europe. It must be accessible to all and of high quality. For this, we need greater cooperation between Member States and regions all across Europe. We must ensure that what we know about cancer within Member States' research centres is regionalised, so that health care professionals all across Europe can better treat the disease." Birgitta Sacrédeus, Member of Dalarna Regional Council (Sweden) made these remarks when presenting her opinion on the Cancer Beating Plan.
Sacrédeus also stressed the need to invest in preventive measure. "We must also promote preventative measures, especially promoting healthier lifestyles." Her opinion calls for greater collaboration between health and social services, especially at local and regional level, in order to raise people's awareness of healthy lifestyles and to inform them of how to reduce their cancer risk.
The opinion of Sacrédeus which was adopted with unanimity criticises the lack of regionally dis-aggregated data on cancer incidence and mortality needed to identify trends and/or address inequalities in cancer screening and treatment.
Sacrédeus called on Member States to promote the accreditation of at least one cancer centre per Member State and establish an EU network of centres of excellence that makes cross-border cooperation and patient mobility easier. Furthermore, she suggested that the cross-border healthcare directive should provide standards for cross-border screening, imaging and treatment of cancer.
Her opinion stresses that the support and care of cancer patients by informal carers such as parents and family members is important but also burdensome. Provision should therefore be made for local social support measures to improve the work-life balance of such carers. It also calls on the EU institutions to make sure that the legal framework for the envisaged European Health Union factors in local and regional authorities' responsibility for public health, given that 19 of the 27 Member States have opted to give LRAs primary responsibility for healthcare.
Sacrédeus' opinion comes at a crucial time as the European Commission identified Cancer as one of the 5 EU mission. The Mission on Cancer launched on 29 September 2021, together with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan adopted on 3 February 2021, aims at improving the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through prevention, cure and for those affected by cancer including their families, to live longer and better.