Childhood Cancer: Video keynote by EU Commissioner Kyriakides

Honourable Members, ladies and gentlemen, dear Loucas,

Addressing childhood cancer is a key priority for Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

Thank you, Loucas, for shining a light on this issue as I know you represent through your voice, families, parents of children whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Sadly, every year, more than 2000 children lose their lives from cancer in the EU and every life lost is devastating. Thankfully, medical and scientific progress means children diagnosed with cancer have better survival rates than ever.

But there are significant differences across the European Union, and we need to tackle these inequalities.

With Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan we have made real progress over the past four and a half years.

The new EU Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres will support access to diagnosis and treatment while the inter-speciality cancer training programme helps deliver the highest standards of care.

This complements the work by the European Reference Network for paediatric cancer on increasing survival rates and quality of life.

Our new dialogue with young persons whose lives have been touched by cancer has provided and is allowing us to focus on quality of life and has even influenced new research topics, such as how to tackle side effects of treatment.

Childhood Cancer International – Europe and the European Society for Paediatric Oncology are active contributors and partners to this dialogue.

The EU Youth Cancer Survivors Network is also now in place, and it enables young survivors to connect with each other.

The EU’s new approach to mental health supports children and families affected by cancer.

Moreover, we have an upcoming Joint Action on Paediatric Palliative Care.

The reform of the EU’s pharmaceutical rules aims to boost the development of innovative treatments, so that we can address unmet medical needs, while the European Health Data Space will facilitate the reuse of health data for research, in particular on rare cancers.

These are all pillars of the strong European Health Union we are building.  I would like to thank the European Society for Paediatric Oncology and Childhood Cancer International-Europe for their work, and for our very close and fruitful cooperation in recent years.

Looking to the future, I am very confident that the next Commission will continue ensuring that Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan delivers.

I want to share a quote I recently read about children who are going through a cancer experience.

Their laughter will make your heart melt.

Their strength will make a grown person cry.

If you ever see a child fight cancer it will change your life forever.

Working with children and families whose lives have been touched by cancer has changed our lives forever.

We will continue to shine the light.

We are acting now.

Thank you.

Source – EU Commission