Date: 7 - 8 April 2008

Venue: Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard/ Belliardstraat 99-101, Brussels, Belgium

Organiser: European Cancer Patient Coalition

Attendance: 150 participants. By invitation only.

Contact person:

Hildrun Sundseth, ECPC Head of EU Policy

e-mail: hildrun.sundseth(at)ecpc-online.org

phone: + 32 2 646 69 50

www.ecpc-online.org

www.cor.europa.eu/En/activities/conferences_expo.htm

Under the auspices of the Slovenian presidency of the EU, the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC), an umbrella organisation for all cancer patient groups from across Europe, will hold its Cancer Patient Summit on 7 and 8 April 2008 in Brussels at the Committee of the Regions.

The aim of the summit is to bring together cancer patient advocacy groups, health policy makers, politicians and the professional oncology community to unite behind the Slovenian cancer initiative and work together to promote the Presidency’s cancer conclusions at the European, national and regional level. Cancer is a complex set of over 200 diseases and a major health burden which is set to increase as the European population ages. With one in three EU citizens being diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime and one in four dying of it, cancer remains a big challenge.   

The conference will address 3 key issues: How to implement a comprehensive cancer control strategy addressing prevention, early detection, screening, diagnosis, treatment and care, including palliative care; How to share already available best practice, encourage more research and find creative ways to improve cancer outcomes; How to mobilize all stakeholders and join forces to reduce the existing cancer gaps within and between countries and regions of the European Union.