Next level EU cancer survivorship and quality-of-life policy

Are we doing enough to ensure that every person affected by cancer in Europe can live well during and after treatment?

Cancer survivorship and quality-of-life together represent one of the greatest tests of Europe’s health systems and social resilience. Medical innovation has transformed cancer from a fatal disease into a condition that many now live with or overcome. Yet this success brings a new responsibility: to make sure that cancer patients and survivors live better, physically, mentally, socially, and economically.

This paper explores how far Europe has progressed in converting political commitments into practical outcomes since the initiation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan in 2021 alongside the EU Cancer Mission. It reviews the advances made across policies, research, and care delivery, while exposing the persistent gaps that prevent equitable support for all people affected by cancer. Drawing on evidence, expert reflection, and the collective insight of the European Cancer Organisation’s member societies, Focused Topic Networks, and patient communities, the paper serves as both a reflection on progress and a call to action.

Decisive action cannot be delayed: survivorship and quality-of-life focused initiatives are now visible in policy, but they remain unevenly implemented and undervalued in practice. While frameworks exist, they are inconsistently applied. While resources have been mobilised, inequities endure. Too many patients, survivors, and carers continue to face fragmented care and unmet needs. This paper therefore examines what has been achieved, what remains undone, and how Europe can deliver lasting, measurable improvement.

The recommendations presented here will form the foundation of a European Cancer Survivorship and Quality-of-Life Charter, to be launched in 2026. This Charter will outline a shared vision for embedding quality-of-life and survivorship as essential pillars of cancer policy and care. It will unite European and national actors, policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and advocates around one common goal: ensuring that every person affected by cancer - wherever they live- can benefit from equitable, and sustainable care.