FACE Champions Join FACE Please join us in the action and in the fight against cancer. Please contact FACE via [email protected] if you are interested to learn more about FACE or to join FACE. Elena Oana Elena Basescu Piotr Borys Antonescu FACE Website http://www.forumagainstcancer.eu

Frieda Brepoels Cristian Silviu Milan Cabrnoch Jorgo Chatzi- Buşoi markakis How to contact FACE

ECPC Brussels Office Denis Horgan - ECPC Political Affairs Manager António Fernando Leonidas Donskis Jill Evans Richard Falbr Correia de Campos Rue de la Loi, 26, 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 2 8888943 E-Mail: [email protected]

ECPC Head Office Christofer Fjellner Pat the Cope Małgorzata Satu Hassi Jan Geissler - ECPC Director Gallagher Handzlik Am Rothenanger 1b, 85521 Riemerling, Germany Tel: + 49 89 62836807 Fax: + 49 89 62836808 E-mail: [email protected] The Forum Against Cancer Europe Sean Kelly Corinne Lepage Kartika Tamara Marisa Matias Linda McAvan The Forum Against Cancer (FACE) is an initiative of the Liotard European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) Show Your Face Against Cancer: ECPC is registered as a non-profit association in The , Reg.-Nr. 30211815 Making Cancer an EU Priority

Gay Mitchell Radvilė Morkūnaitė- Ria Oomen- Miroslav Ouzký Rolandas Paksas Mikulėnienė Ruijten About ECPC Established in 2003, The European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) is the voice of the European cancer patient community, uniquely representing the interests of all cancer patient groups Justas Vincas Antonyia Pavel Poc Anna Rosbach Paleckis Parvanova from the major to the rarer cancers. It has been established to represent the views of cancer patients in the European healthcare debate and to provide a forum for European cancer patients to exchange information and share best practice experiences. ECPC represents over 300 patients’ organizations Theodoros Bart Staes Thomas Ulmer Lambert van Skylakakis Nistelrooij across Europe. ECPC is run and governed by patients. During the last legislative period, ECPC has provided the MEPs with a platform to discuss issues of relevance and to communicate to their constituents.

Anja Weisgerber Marina Yan- Kathleen van Algirdas nakoudakis Brempt Saudargas

The Forum Against Cancer Europe is an initiative of the European Cancer Patient Coalition About the Forum Against Cancer Europe (FACE) FACE six guiding priorities for the Focus areas of FACE Cancer affects us all. Did you know that one in three Europeans legislative period 2009-2014: FACE currently concentrates on the following issues connected to will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime? With hardly any cancer patients: family spared from cancer, it is vital that the battle against cancer • Making cancer a priority for action on the European • Cancer Research is a political priority at the European level – and again a priority health policy agenda Cancer research is essential to uncover new approaches to clinical for the . and public-health intervention. Cancer research should aim to • Effecting change in legislative or regulatory policies to identify the causes of cancer and to develop better strategies for help optimize cancer prevention, detection, treatment and prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. For more than 20 years, cancer patients have worked successfully care throughout Europe. with European Parliamentarians to learn about, debate and form • Health Inequalities There is good evidence that significant European variability exists policies geared towards cancer patients in a cross-sectoral • Ensuring that all cancer patients in the EU have access to both in delivery of services and outcomes of care at each stage timely and appropriate information about prevention, and cross-party manner, making use of outside expertise and of the patient pathway, from information provision through to participation of stakeholders. The Forum Against Cancer Europe screening, early intervention, on-going clinical trials and palliative care. (FACE) will be the continuance of this work. best quality treatment and care. • Clinical Trials Directive • Empowering cancer patients to take an active role in Clinical Trials have been a key factor in improving cancer survival The work of The Forum Against Cancer will consist of shaping European and national policy that impacts on and advancement in treatment. However, the Directive and their • monitoring the work of the ; cancer prevention, treatment and care national implementations have slowed the opening of trials, • monitoring the situation of various legislation that passes without a large improvement in patient safety, which already had • Ensuring that best cancer practice is shared across the a good track record in trials in oncology, or a desired acceleration through the EU that will effect cancer patients in the EU or harmonization of pan-European cancer research. Member States and EU and gaps within and between Member States are eradicated. • liaising with civil society groups to relay their concerns at the • Information to Patients Whilst the political debate around “information to patients” and European level. • Fostering co-operation between the cancer patients’ “advertising” has been going on for years, European patients organisations within Europe and to develop a common continue to suffer from the lack of access to quality information The concept behind FACE is to provide the human face of cancer policy while the bait of miracle healers and door-to-door advertisers through the voice of the cancer patients, to address many is still there. The current political momentum in the EU on “Information to Patients” is timely and welcome. important issues in the EU that concern cancer, and present the faces (e.g. MEPs and EU Commission) that will take a lead on • Rare Cancers these topics. A number of MEPs are committed to follow one or What MEPs can do Special challenges of rare cancers are e.g. the lack of local more issues for the term of their legislature, for example on cancer MEPs can support cancer patients by supporting the Forum medical expertise, late diagnoses and poor referral rates, not enough interest in research, not enough clinical trials, or the lack research, cross border health care, rare cancers, clinical trials, Against Cancer Europe and by: of funding and public attention for rare cancers. palliative care etc. • sending a strong political signal that immediate and concerted action is needed to reduce cancer rates by • Palliative Care With the well-known demographic changes which are taking Europe has been aware of the problems for cancer patients for prevention and screening, and improve cancer outcomes. place in the EU, palliative care will be of increased importance more than a decade. But it needs political will. It is vital that • harnessing Community policies and instruments such in providing care for the ageing population. Raised to the policy strong MEPs continue their efforts to raise cancer and stimulate as the Public Health Programmes and the Framework level, this translates to a need to efficiently use resources (both dialogues and actions between all parties. Research Programmes to the fight against cancer. human and financial) to guarantee the best possible quality of care. • ensuring that best practice is shared across the EU and FACE is an initiative of ECPC gaps that exist in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment • Youth and Cancer The “Forum Against Cancer Europe” is an initiative by the European and care between and within Member States are eradicated. Since cancer is mostly appearing in the third quartile of life, cancer advocacy is often focused on that population, disregarding Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC). ECPC is representing more than that healthy lifestyle and early prevention might save young 300 cancer patient groups across 42 countries. Please join us in our fight against cancer! Europeans from getting cancer. A clear health awareness message has to be sent to the European youth.