From ECO's President: Taking the Reins - President update, January 2024

And so we begin.

The start of any new presidential term at the European Cancer Organisation comes with much anticipation and plenty of questions: What changes are in store? Are there new priorities? What are the challenges that lie ahead?

To be clear, I feel most fortunate to be taking the reins at ECO during this period of unprecedented growth and influence. Much of the credit for this goes to the dedication and imagination of my predecessor, Prof. Andreas Charalambous. Andreas took ECO to new heights, and I'm well aware that I have some very big shoes to fill.

One ECO initiative that I'm particularly keen to accelerate is our outreach to national stakeholders in individual countries. Our community, with its vast experience and expertise in every aspect of cancer care, allows us to be a precious resource for them.

At ECO, we always try to go beyond what is considered 'standard'. We want to do more for our patients, for our caregivers, for our professionals.  And we're in a hurry. We must constantly be searching for more effective and efficient approaches.  

To my mind, we have the knowledge, flexibility, and representation like no other organisation in Europe. And Member States see that. We're talking about prime ministers, health ministers, professionals at leading cancer institutes. They welcome us because they understand our mission. They see how we bring people around the same table to find creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

Another focus for me as ECO president will be the rampant inequalities in cancer care. This is a real problem in Europe – within countries and between countries. I come from Romania, quite a poor country, and I personally feel the inequalities every day. They can be related to access to services, or financial resources, or personal identity. Inequalities can have a direct bearing on who lives and who dies from their cancer, and addressing this must be one of our most pressing priorities.  

As you may know, my professional life has been devoted to the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and survivors. ECO has made meaningful strides in this area, but we can do more.

Psychosocial needs are like any other health needs. Mental health is still 'health'. When we talk about cancer, for example, we talk about early diagnosis, screening and so on. We need the same approach for psychosocial care. We shouldn't wait for a mental health crisis. Patients try valiantly to keep it all together, but many need help. And the sooner they can get it, the better. That's why I would love to see early psychosocial screening as part of the cancer care trajectory. And that's just for starters.

ECO is such an impressive organisation, one that's helping transform cancer care throughout Europe. We have much more to do in the coming two years, and your ideas, your support, and your commitment are vital to our mission.  

Full speed ahead!

With gratitude and best wishes,

Csaba

 

Prof. Csaba Degi

President (2024 - 2026)

European Cancer Organisation