New European Cancer Organisation Report Urges Barriers to Cancer Treatment Improvement be Removed
Europe has exciting opportunities for improving cancer care and patient outcomes within its grasp. Yet these are not fully utilised currently with policy obstacles for their adoption still to be addressed. So concludes a new Policy Action report of the European Cancer Organisation: ‘Unlocking Potential: New Treatment Paradigms in European Cancer Care’.
The report has been formulated as a result of a series of conversations and dialogues with high level experts across many fields, including the hosting of a high-level roundtable event in June 2024 and consultation with stakeholders on the report findings and recommendations.
Examining the particular case studies of cell therapy, radioligand therapy and liquid biopsy, the report makes various recommendations.
For cell therapy
- Thousands of patients in Europe with haematological malignancies remain in need of cell therapy to more effectively treat their cancers. In too many countries processes such as having in place recognised treatment centres and referral systems and reimbursement procedures are not yet instituted.
- While increasing the number of centres with expertise to provide cell therapy will remain a policy requirement, there are also clearly identified needs to help improve systems for referral to a specialised centre, and to support patients more effectively with the travel and time burden that will arise from having treatment potentially far from their place of residence.
For radioligand therapy
- It was a repeated refrain across presentations and interventions during the roundtable that a lack of specialist professionals in the field of radioligand therapy will continue to impose limits on its uptake.
- In keeping with the role that the EU takes in ensuring adequate supply of medicine in Europe, including radionuclides, the EU should help address health workforce shortage. The proposal from the Belgian Presidency of the European Union that an EU Health Workforce Plan be created and implemented should be pursued with some urgency, and be reflective of where workforce shortage is holding back adoption of innovations in treatment.
For liquid biopsy
- There is a need for liquid biopsy testing to not only be in place as part of regular practice in oncology treatment across Europe, but also for the testing to be of sufficient high quality. This becomes especially the case at the scientific understanding in the field grows, including in respect to resistance mutations.
- EU investment in supporting greater harmonisation of approach to liquid biopsy testing across Europe would help to support wider and faster uptake of the technology.
- Cancer screening policy should also seek to ensure that detection of a cancer is rapidly followed by diagnostics and treatment decision, including use of liquid biopsy.
The European Cancer Organisation remains committed to working with stakeholders to implement these recommendations and improve the accessibility of advanced cancer therapies across Europe.
