Community 365 Roundtable: Addressing the Challenges of Women & Cancer

Every year, 600,000 women in the European Union lose their lives to cancer. Many of these deaths could have been prevented through early detection and timely access to treatment. Yet, enormous variations in cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment continue to divide Europe. Only 20.6% Bulgarian women had a mammography within the previous two years compared to 83% Danish women. 

 

Women’s quality of life can be profoundly affected by treatment side effects, including infertility. They also struggle with stigmas, financial vulnerability, and overwhelming responsibility over the household.  

 

The 12 million women living with cancer in Europe deserve better. National and European cancer plans need to do more to address these issues.  

 

The European Cancer Organisation is bringing together medical experts, patient representatives and policymakers for a special Community 365 Roundtable. Join us and discover how you can help place women and cancer at the top of the European health agenda. Register now!

08 July 2025 15:00 - 17:30 CEST

Virtual

 Apply for Registration

Women and Cancer Roundtable Wide

While advances in treatments have been made, breast, ovarian and cervical cancer continue to have the highest mortality rates amongst women. This Community 365 Roundtable will focus on unmet needs of women affected by cancer – from metastatic breast survivors to the stigmatisation of gynaecological cancers.

Participants will help identify current policy gaps and actionable recommendations that can integrate ovarian cancer policy into EU and national health strategies. The goal? Ensure equitable access to cancer screening and emerging therapies that can improve survival and quality of life.

The Roundtable will be chaired by:

  • Dr Isabel Rubio, Co-chair of the ECO Women & Cancer Workstream & Past President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology
  • Prof. Paola Erba, Co-chair of the ECO Women & Cancer Workstream & President of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine

Related Resources

  • Women and Cancer: More than 12 million reasons for action!
    visit
  • Inequalities Network
    visit
  • Women and Cancer Workstream
    visit

Speakers

  • Romana Jerković MEP Vice-Chair, Committee on Public Health
  • Fatima Cardoso President, ABC Global Alliance
  • Andrea Rockall Chair of the Board of Directors, European Society of Radiology
  • Tit Albreht President, European Public Health Association
  • Marzia Zambon Executive Director, EUROPA DONNA
  • Penilla Gunther Member, EU Cancer Mission and Former Member of Parliament, Sweden
show all speakers (11)

Speakers

  • Romana Jerković MEP Vice-Chair, Committee on Public Health
  • Fatima Cardoso President, ABC Global Alliance
  • Andrea Rockall Chair of the Board of Directors, European Society of Radiology
  • Tit Albreht President, European Public Health Association
  • Marzia Zambon Executive Director, EUROPA DONNA
  • Penilla Gunther Member, EU Cancer Mission and Former Member of Parliament, Sweden
show all speakers (11)
  • Romana Jerković MEP Vice-Chair, Committee on Public Health
  • Fatima Cardoso President, ABC Global Alliance Read Bio
  • Andrea Rockall Chair of the Board of Directors, European Society of Radiology Read Bio
  • Tit Albreht President, European Public Health Association Read Bio
  • Marzia Zambon Executive Director, EUROPA DONNA Read Bio
  • Penilla Gunther Member, EU Cancer Mission and Former Member of Parliament, Sweden Read Bio
  • Isabel Rubio Co-chair of the ECO Women & Cancer Workstream & Past President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology Read Bio
  • Paola Anna Erba  Co-chair of the ECO Women & Cancer Workstream & President of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Read Bio
  • Urška Košir Research Manager, Swedish Institute for Health Economics & Patient Advocate, Youth Cancer Europe Read Bio
  • Isabelle Ray-Coquard Oncologist, Centre Léon Bérard Read Bio
  • Michael Zaiac Head of Medical Affairs Oncology Europe and Canada, Daiichi Sankyo

Speakers

  • Romana Jerković MEP Vice-Chair, Committee on Public Health
  • Fatima Cardoso President, ABC Global Alliance
  • Andrea Rockall Chair of the Board of Directors, European Society of Radiology
  • Tit Albreht President, European Public Health Association
  • Marzia Zambon Executive Director, EUROPA DONNA
  • Penilla Gunther Member, EU Cancer Mission and Former Member of Parliament, Sweden
show all speakers (11)

Programme

15:00-15:10
Welcome and introductions
15:10-15:55
Beyond survival: addressing metastatic breast cancer
 

This session will provide an introduction to Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), outlining what it is and how research in this area has progressed — while emphasising the ongoing need for sustained funding and innovation. Thanks to advances in early detection and treatment, MBC is no longer considered an automatic death sentence. However, healthcare systems and societies must still adapt to the unique and complex challenges associated with living with MBC. The session will explore key issues around quality of life, long-term care, and survivorship, and will highlight the crucial role that policy can play in improving outcomes for people living with metastatic breast cancer.

Co-chaired by Isabel Rubio, Co-chair of the ECO Women & Cancer Workstream & Past President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology, and Michael Zaiac, Head of Medical Affairs Oncology Europe and Canada, Daiichi Sankyo
 
  • Fatima Cardoso, President, ABC Global Alliance
  • Marzia Zambon, Executive Director, EUROPA DONNA
  • Penilla Gunther, Member, EU Cancer Mission and Former Member of Parliament, Sweden
  • Romana Jerković MEP, Vice-Chair, Committee on Public Health
15:55 – 16:40
Managing challenges in gynaecological cancers: improving health literacy to take informed decisions
 

Gynaecological cancers are among the most prevalent cancers affecting women in Europe – including young women which represent a vulnerable group - yet receive limited attention. They indeed remain under-recognised and often stigmatised, leading to delayed diagnoses and unmet care needs. There is an urgent need to ensure these cancers are fully integrated into national and regional cancer control plans.   This session will consequently aim to raise awareness on the persistent challenges in managing gynaecological cancers, with a particular focus on supporting the right to fertility preservation. It will explore why fertility counselling should be made routinely available to all women undergoing cancer treatment, ensuring they are fully informed of their reproductive options and supported in making decisions.

Co-chaired by Paola Anna Erba, Co-chair of the ECO Women & Cancer Workstream & President of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, and Maja Velkovsky, Executive Director, Medical Affairs Gynaecological Cancers, MSD
 
  • Andrea Rockall, Chair of the Board of Directors, European Society of Radiology
  • Tit Albreht, President, European Public Health Association
  • Urška Košir, Research Manager, Swedish Institute for Health Economics & Patient Advocate, Youth Cancer Europe
16:40-17:25
The cost of delay: addressing challenges in ovarian cancer diagnosis
 

Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest yet least understood and prioritised cancers affecting women. This session will explore critical barriers such as misdiagnosis and late diagnosis, poor integration of diagnostic technologies, limited awareness and treatment gap. It will finally explore the human impacts for patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and will review ways to achieve better integration of ovarian cancer policy needs into EU and national women’s health strategies.

Co-chaired by Isabel Rubio, Co-chair of the ECO Women & Cancer Workstream & Past President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology, and Nikki Roebuck, Senior Global Science Director, AbbVie
 
  • Billy Kelleher MEP, Member, Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
  • Nikki Roebuck, Senior Global Science Director, AbbVie
  • Isabelle Ray-Coquard, Oncologist, Centre Léon Bérard
17:25-17:30
Conclusions and next steps

 

Speakers

  • Romana Jerković MEP Vice-Chair, Committee on Public Health
  • Fatima Cardoso President, ABC Global Alliance
  • Andrea Rockall Chair of the Board of Directors, European Society of Radiology
  • Tit Albreht President, European Public Health Association
  • Marzia Zambon Executive Director, EUROPA DONNA
  • Penilla Gunther Member, EU Cancer Mission and Former Member of Parliament, Sweden
show all speakers (11)

Speakers

  • Romana Jerković MEP Vice-Chair, Committee on Public Health
  • Fatima Cardoso President, ABC Global Alliance
  • Andrea Rockall Chair of the Board of Directors, European Society of Radiology
  • Tit Albreht President, European Public Health Association
  • Marzia Zambon Executive Director, EUROPA DONNA
  • Penilla Gunther Member, EU Cancer Mission and Former Member of Parliament, Sweden
show all speakers (11)