EUROPA DONNA ? THE EUROPEAN BREAST CANCER COALITION SPEAKS AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ROUNDTABLE CALL TO ACTION ON ADVANCED BREAST CANCER
EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition was invited to speak yesterday at a roundtable meeting in the European Parliament hosted by MEPs Emma McClarkin (UK), Anna Záborská (Slovakia) and Minadora Cliveti (Romania), on the topic of advanced breast cancer/metastatic breast cancer (ABC/MBC). The lunch event was also attended by representatives of the European Commission and by representatives of other cancer organisations, including ECL, ECPC and the Belgian Cancer Centre. Emma McClarkin MEP opened the meeting describing how women with ABC/MBC are currently underserved, and how their psychosocial needs in particular are overlooked. She commented that “everyone has been touched by this disease” and how it is therefore urgent that these needs be addressed. She described the impact of ABC/MBC both in terms of its effect on those with the disease and their friends and family, and also its societal and economic impact.
EUROPA DONNA called on the MEPs present to launch a Written Declaration after the May 2014 election that would reiterate the need to implement the 2003 and 2006 Resolutions on Breast Cancer and draw special attention to ensuring that this includes the care and treatment of patients with ABC/MBC. EUROPA DONNA President, Elizabeth Bergsten Nordström, said “It is vital that women with ABC are treated in specialist breast units with appropriate, up-to-date treatments and that they are followed by a multidisciplinary team, which also provides for psycho-social support, palliative care and counselling when necessary; the appropriate links to support in the community should also be provided via the multidisciplinary team”. The Declaration should also point out the need for up-to-date, reliable data on women with breast cancer, including ABC/MBC, to be collected by cancer registries in all the Member States and for that data to be readily available.
EUROPA DONNA emphasised that the number of women living with metastatic disease is growing all the time and that the needs of this group should not be overlooked. Karen Benn, EUROPA DONNA’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, told the MEPs about the advocacy actions EUROPA DONNA had undertaken in the past, and described how ED’s advocacy activity had led to the 2003 and 2006 Breast Cancer Resolutions. She also described ED’s projects addressing the specific needs of women with ABC/MBC over the last number of years including publications, conferences, workshops and other projects.
EUROPA DONNA also asked that the new breast service accreditation project being carried out by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) include specific reference and description of necessary services for metastatic breast cancer and that all efforts be made to ensure member state agreement on the various requirements. The 2006 European Parliament Breast Cancer Resolution calls for member states to implement multidisciplinary specialist breast units by 2016 and we need to reiterate this mandate to meet this deadline. The JRC should consider conducting the accreditation of specialist breast units aspect of the project as a separate segment to the project, to be worked on immediately.
EUROPA DONNA’s third request of the assembled MEPs was for a follow-up meeting after the European Parliament elections to discuss and agree on a draft of the Written Declaration and the possible formation of MEP breast cancer group to further discuss and inform MEPs about breast cancer issues, especially the needs of women with ABC/MBC.
The MEPs from Romania, Minadora Cliveti, and Slovakia, Anna Záborská, described the situation for women with ABC/MBC in their countries, with both emphasising that there is still a strong need to address inequalities in access to, and provision of, healthcare all European member states.
The meeting closed with the agreement of those present to implement these actions as soon as possible after the MEP elections in May and a commitment to keep the momentum going for all women with breast cancer, and especially for those with advanced/metastatic disease.
About EUROPA DONNA
EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition – is an independent, non-profit organisation whose members are affiliated groups from countries throughout Europe. EUROPA DONNA works to raise public awareness of breast cancer and to mobilise the support of European women in pressing for improved breast cancer education, appropriate screening, optimal treatment and care and increased funding for research. Member countries currently number 46.
Contact information:
EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition
Piazza Amendola, 3
20149 Milan
Italy
Tel: +39 02 3659 2280
Fax: +39 02 3659 2284
Email: info@europadonna.org
Website: www.europadonna.org
The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of EUROPA DONNA.
