Putting people and their well-being first has become a key expectation of more and more government programmes, especially within healthcare. As populations age, and with improved treatments and care, patients are increasingly prioritising quality of life for themselves and their loved ones. This is particularly true in the field of cancer care.
People affected by cancer often face a dizzying array of quality-of-life issues – physical, emotional and social. Prioritising quality of life and placing patients at the centre of their care means addressing these impacts better, while reducing the burden of cancer on societies and economies. However, cancer research and policy across Europe have yet to make the necessary transition.
Against this background, nine projects were funded by the EU Cancer Mission to develop new tools and interventions in:
- Supporting patients with their quality-of-life issues
- Implementing shared-decision making
- Improving care pathway coordination
- Incentivising policy change
The result? The Quality of Life – Patient-Centred Care Cluster. Each project addresses a specific innovation:
- EUonQoL is developing a patient-centred unified tool for the assessment of quality of life among cancer patients and survivors
- EU-NAVIGATE is implementing and evaluating a navigation intervention for people with cancer in old age and their family caregivers
- INSPIRE is focusing on integrated short-term palliative rehabilitation to improve the quality of life and equitable care access in incurable cancer
- MyPath is developing and implementing innovative patient-centred care pathways for cancer patients
- PAINLESS is addressing pain relief in palliative care of cancer using home-based neuromodulation and predictive biomarkers
- PAL-CYCLES is developing, adapting, implementing, and evaluating a transitional palliative care programme for patients with advanced cancer, adaptable to local cultures and healthcare systems
- PREFERABLE-II is designing and evaluating a personalised exercise intervention for improvement of supportive cancer care
- RELEVIUM is tackling quality of life of advanced pancreatic cancer patients through an AI-guided multimodal intervention, combining pain and cachexia management, nutrition, and physical activity
- SERENITY is developing a shared decision-making process to facilitate treatment decisions regarding the appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy in cancer patients at the end of life
The upcoming ‘Quality of Life and Cancer Policy Forum’ will leverage the achievements of the nine projects for a high-level policy discussion, exploring how to redesign cancer systems for better quality of life and patient-centred care. Through this event:
- Researchers and research funders will get inspired by best practices in public and patient involvement
- Healthcare professionals will learn about new tools and interventions they could apply in cancer care
- Health system managers will discover how to deploy a harmonised system-level quality of life measurement
- Decision-makers and advocates will get empowered to adopt new policy recommendations at EU and national level
This event is not about simply showcasing project success. It is about providing the essential lessons we need to implement fundamentally better patient care.
Event Registration
Please complete this form to express your interest in participating in the Quality of Life and Cancer Policy Forum: Bridging Research, Practice and Policy-Making on 20 November 2026. Your submission will be reviewed and approval will be communicated if your application is successful.
We kindly ask you to:
- Help us avoid no-shows and food waste by applying to in-person registration only if you are certain to attend on-site
- Cancel upfront or switch your attendance to virtual if you cannot attend in-person anymore, giving the chance to other delegates to take part
Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation!
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Thursday 19 November |
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18:00 – 21:00 |
INTERACT-EUROPE 100 & EUonQoL Joint Welcome Cocktail Reception To close the 2026 edition of the European Cancer Summit and welcome delegates of the European Conference on Inter-Speciality Cancer Training and Care organised by INTERACT-EUROPE 100 and the Quality of Life and Cancer Policy Forum powered by EUonQoL, attendees will be invited to take a short stroll from The Hotel Brussels to enjoy networking and exchange with peers from across the European cancer community. Please note that your badge is required for access to the reception, either the European Cancer Summit badge or the EU Project Event badge. |
Friday 20 November |
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08:00 – 08:30 |
Registration and Coffee An opportunity for participants to check in, connect with peers, and begin networking ahead of the Forum. |
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08:30 – 08:40 |
Welcome from the European Commission Introducing the high-level context for the Forum, celebrating the projects of the Quality of Life – Patient-Centred Care cluster of the EU Mission on Cancer and their role in the EU’s action against cancer: How do they address the diverse needs of patient populations, from cancer treatment through to survivorship and palliative care? |
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08:40 – 08:50 |
Introducing the Forum Presenting an overview of its participating projects and the logic of the event: more than a showcase of project success, a conversation on how to implement actual change for better patient care. |
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08:55 – 09:05 |
Opening Keynote Providing the background on the importance of quality of life and patient-centred care and how they can be made a stronger priority by redesigning health systems. |
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09:05 – 09:50 |
For people means with people: The next horizon for Public and Patient Involvement in cancer research This session will present lessons from a selection of participating projects on what meaningful collaboration between researchers and patients looks like, and its value for the relevance of projects’ outcomes. Supported by external perspectives from leading voices in the patient community and beyond, it will be a discussion about challenges and opportunities to institutionalise high standards of public and patient involvement in cancer research, and how such integration can support the advancement of knowledge and practice for quality of life and patient-centred care. |
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09:50 – 10:20 |
Coffee Break and Cluster Exhibition A dedicated space for informal exchange and networking, complemented by interactive displays showcasing selected projects from the Quality of Life – Patient-Centred Care cluster. |
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10:20 – 11:20 |
Patient-Centred Care in Action: How new interventions and solutions can advance cancer patients’ quality of life Based on the work they have performed within the Quality of Life – Patient-Centred Care cluster, selected project representatives will demonstrate to the audience how different kinds of interventions and solutions can support advancement of cancer care delivery, including:
External experts will explore how such innovations can be adopted by European countries and turned into practice by health systems. |
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11:20 – 11:50 |
Coffee Break and Cluster Exhibition A dedicated space for informal exchange and networking, complemented by interactive displays showcasing selected projects from the Quality of Life – Patient-Centred Care cluster. |
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11:50 – 12:50 |
What gets measured gets done: Implementing Quality of Life measurement in Cancer As the policy event of the EUonQoL project, this session will focus on the measurement of quality of life and its power to enable change towards patient-centred care. Featuring EUonQoL leaders as well as representatives from external international organisations, it will highlight how quality of life measurement at an aggregated level can complement existing systems implemented in cancer patient care and research, and pave the way for the elevation of quality of life as a core indicator of performance for cancer systems and infrastructure. |
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12:50 – 13:50 |
Lunch Break A dedicated space for informal exchange and networking, complemented by interactive displays showcasing selected projects from the Quality of Life – Patient-Centred Care cluster. |
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13:50 – 14:50 |
Joining Forces to Make Change: Making Quality of Life a Cancer Policy Priority Featuring the launch of a new policy brief, the final session of the Quality of Life and Cancer Policy Forum will address what concrete changes are required within health policies to make patient-centred cancer care a reality. Through a dialogue between leading stakeholder voices from the Quality of Life – Patient-Centred Care cluster and high-level European and national decision-makers, the session will aim at empowering participants to adopt new policy recommendations and mobilise for their effective application. |
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14:50 – 15:00 |
Closing Remarks & Call to Action The Forum will conclude with reflections on key messages and acknowledgements |
Event venue
The Quality of Life and Cancer Policy Forum will take place at:
THE HOTEL BRUSSELS – 27th FLOOR
Boulevard de Waterloo 38 – 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 504 11 11
Website: https://www.thehotel-brussels.be/en/
Closest metro stations:
- Louise (300 m / 4 min by foot; Metro Lines 2 and 6)
- Porte de Namur (400 m / 5 min by foot; Metro Lines 2 and 6)
Closest train stations:
- Brussels-South (Midi) Station (1.5 km / approx. 20 min by foot or Metro Lines 2 (direction Simonis) or 6 (direction Roi Baudouin) from Gare du Midi to Louise (3 stops). Total travel time approx. 8–10 minutes, followed by a 4-minute walk.
- Brussels Central Station (1.5 km / approx. 20 min by foot or Metro Lines 1 (direction Stockel/Stokkel) or 5 (direction Herrmann-Debroux) from Gare Centrale to Arts-Loi (2 stops), then transfer to Metro Lines 2 or 6 (direction Simonis / Roi Baudouin) to Louise (2 stops). Total travel time approx. 10–12 minutes, followed by a 4-minute walk.
Parking:
Underground parking is available at the hotel (more than 100 spaces). Rate: EUR 35 per 24 hours. No reservation required.
Alternative paying parking nearby:
- Interparking Brussels – Parking Deux Portes (directly opposite the hotel)
- Interparking Brussels – Parking Toison d’Or (350 m / approx. 5 min walk)
Accommodation
For delegates planning to travel to Brussels, we have secured preferential accommodation rates/conditions at the event venue, The Hotel:
Superior room (single use) per night: EUR 264.00 – including breakfast, VAT and wifi, excluding EUR 5.30 EUR city tax per person.
Superior room (double use) per night: EUR 285.00 – including breakfast, VAT and wifi, excluding EUR 5.30 EUR city tax per person.
To make your reservation:
- Fill in the on-line form HERE
- Enter the dates of your stay and confirm
You are advised to book early to ensure availability.
Should you be interested to book another room category or have any specific enquiry, please e-mail Elyse Braye at The Hotel HERE.
Cancellation policy: Should you need to cancel or amend your reservation, please advise 72 hours prior to your day of arrival. Failure to do so will result in the hotel charging for the full amount of your reservation.
Please note that the European Cancer Organisation is not responsible for any travel, hotel or cancellation costs.
Prepare your stay in Brussels
Public transportation
Find out more about Brussels public transport network and plan your journey HERE. Not a frequent Brussels traveller? Then contactless payment is the most convenient solution. Just hold your contactless bank card, smartphone or smartwatch directly against the grey bus, tram or metro validator, and "beep": your journey can begin. Fast and easy. Fare for 1 journey: EUR 2.70.
Taxis
Taxis verts: +32 2 349 49 49
Uber and Bolt are also available and widely used in Brussels
Accessible taxis
Taxis verts PRM - +32 2 349 49 49
Taxis Verts has vehicles specially equipped with ramps and elevators for persons with reduced mobility (PRM). This service is available 24/7 in and around Brussels. The price is identical to that of a conventional taxi. The waiting time usually varies between 15 to 30 minutes during off-peak hours. During rush hours, please add 30 minutes to the usual waiting time. It’s also possible to pre-book a taxi for later.
Dial +32 2 349 49 49 to order your PRM taxi or request a PRM ride with your mobile phone via by selecting « PRM » from the vehicle options (in service level eCab+). Download the app for free and learn more on http://www.taxisverts.be/
Insurance
The Organisers do not assume any liability for personal injuries sustained or loss of, or damage to, property belonging to delegates (or their accompanying persons), either during or as result of the event. Participants are requested to make their own arrangements with respect to health and travel insurance.
Dress code
The dress code for the Policy Forum sessions and networking reception will be Business Formal.
Security
Delegates are advised not leave any device, bags or belongings unattended throughout the meeting spaces.
The Organisers cannot be held responsible for any loss, damage, or theft of personal belongings that may occur during the event.
