Major professional cancer meeting in Europe opens its doors to cancer patients for the first time
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Major professional cancer meeting in Europe opens its doors to cancer patients for the first time
Patient education, the creation of a strong patient voice and working together with professionals is a positive way forward to ensure all cancer patients in Europe receive equal and best practice care. The Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC) is therefore delighted that the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has become more patient-focused. For the first time at one of the Society’s prestigious meetings, a whole day was dedicated to general public and patient education on critical aspects of cancer research and care.
ESMO has also provided an opportunity at this meeting for cancer patient advocates to come together and to assess current and future advocacy developments across Europe.
“Together, the patient voice and professional societies have a massive opportunity to jointly ensure that all cancer patients benefit from new developments in research and so best practice care is accessible for all. Thus we will ensure that cancer patients’ lives are not lost needlessly”. Said Dr Jesme Baird, Director of Patient Care at the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, UK. “ESMO has laid the groundwork in patient involvement and they must be congratulated in doing so. I am delighted that they have committed themselves to continuing to do so in the future” she continued.
The Global Lung Cancer Coalition was set up two years ago to provide an international voice for lung cancer patients worldwide. The main aims of the coalition are to:
- Place lung cancer squarely on the global health agenda
- Lessen the stigma of lung cancer among patients, their families, their health care providers, policy makers, and the general public
- Empower lung cancer patients and their loved ones to take a more active role in their care
- Effect change in relevant legislative and regulatory policies to optimise treatment and care of lung cancer patients
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