The European Week Against Cancer (EWAC) is an annual event from 25 to 31 May to raise the awareness of all Europeans towards cancer and take action against it. It is an occasion to learn more about policy and research on cancer, what is key in its prevention, and the lived experiences of patients and cancer survivors. The overall aim is to move towards a Europe Free of Cancer.
Pain is a common symptom in cancer survivors and those living with progressive advanced disease, affecting up to 40% of cancer survivors and at least 66% of patients with advanced progressive disease. Evidence from meta‐analyses suggests that poor assessment and inadequate support for patient self‐management still have a huge impact on patients’ experience. This is the main reason behind the European Pain Federation EFIC’s long-lasting involvement in advocacy projects on this matter, bringing the different needs of current and past patients to policymakers’ attention.
Through the Societal Impact of Pain SIP project, EFIC take part in actions of advocacy regarding the management of cancer-related pain and improvement of policymaking. In 2017 EFIC put together a multidisciplinary Task Force of European experts to prepare standards for the appropriate management of cancer-related pain, culminating in the 2018 EFIC Standards for the management of cancer‐related pain across Europe – A position paper from the EFIC Task Force on Cancer Pain. In addition to the momentum from the scientific literature, the focus on cancer has also increased in the political arena, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Political Guidelines for the Next European Commission 2019-2024 specifically mentioning the need for a European cancer plan. The European Commission’s work on cancer sits within the Directorate General for Health (DG SANTE), and on the 3rd of February 2021, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) was launched, which reflects a political commitment to mobilise the European Union’s collective power to drive change to the benefit of its citizens.
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan includes the smartCARE project, in which EFIC are a partner, to develop a Smart Card (mobile app) to help cancer survivors in Europe with self-management. The Smart Card will be available all over Europe, taking the form of a mobile application allowing cross-border usage for cancer survivors and caregivers. In November 2023 the smartCARE project launched its user-needs survey with responses reaching over 1,100 by the end of March 2024, representing more than 39 countries, various age groups, cancer types, and life stories.
EFIC has played a vital role in the INTERACT-EUROPE initiative, a collaborative project led by the European Cancer Organization (ECO) and supported by EU funding from the EU4Health program 2021-2027 as part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. This project united 33 partners from 17 different countries with the goal of creating a comprehensive European inter-specialty cancer training program that encompasses all major oncology disciplines and professions, cancer centres, and patient groups. The final ISCT curriculum, endorsed by INTERACT-EUROPE, now encompasses the evaluation and management of pain throughout the entire cancer journey, including vulnerable populations such as the frail elderly, adults with learning disabilities, and those at risk of substance abuse disorders. This curriculum has been published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology.
For more information on cancer-related initiatives, please visit the European Week Against Cancer (EWAC) website at: https://www.cancer.eu/european-week-against-cancer-european-week-against-cancer/
