Since ESMO 2016, the ESMO Patient Advocacy Track has been fully integrated in the Congress programme, enabling patient advocates to attend the scientific sessions that are relevant to them as well as the patient advocacy sessions.
The Patient Advocates Track Sessions are designed by the ESMO Patient Advocates Working Group (PAWG) and represent an opportunity for all Congress delegates to learn, share and explore areas of collaboration while discussing topical issues for patients and survivors that directly impact cancer care and medical research.
ESMO 2018 - Securing access to optimal cancer care
Patient Advocacy Track – Advanced Programme
Friday, 19 October 2018
14:30-15:45 Knowledge is power: Educating patients and advocates
Chairs: Jan Geissler, DE and Bettina Ryll, SE
Patients advocates are not only in contact with many patients but also increasingly involved in healthcare decision making. Knowledge is key to prevent incorrect information from spreading in patient networks and essential for meaningful contributions shaping healthcare. This session looked into successful examples from our community!
Welcome to ESMO2018, Bettina Ryll, SE and Josep Tabernero, ES
Reaching patients: The podcast experience, Fredric Johansson, SE
The Myeloma Access Atlas: Training programme, Ananda Plate, BE
The CML ECABs: Educating for excellence, Jan Geissler, DE
16.00-17.30 Immune therapies going adjuvant: benefits versus risks
Chairs: Bettina Ryll, SE, John Haanen, NL
Immunotherapy checkpoints: what to tell your patients, Bettina Ryll, SE
Benefits of adjuvant therapies, John Haanen, NL
Risks of adjuvant therapies, James Larkin, UK
Discussion: To risk it or not
17.45-19.15 Life after cancer
Chairs: Isabelle Lebrocquy, NL, Tanja Spanic, SL
Every cancer patient wants to survive. However, it takes more than survival to live well. This session investigated the issues cancer survivors face and what we need to tackle to make cancer survival worth living.
When is a cancer patient cured? Luigino Dal Maso, IT
Big Data Analysis about Socio-economic Consequences of Cancer, Martin Ludwig, NL
The right to be forgotten, Agnes Dumas, FR
Advocating for survivors’ rights, Isabelle Lebrocquy, NL
Saturday 20 October 2018
12.30-14.00 Pillars of an effective healthcare system in Europe
Chairs: Ananda Plate, BE, Vlad Voiculescu, RO
Healthcare is more than a diagnosis or a medicine. This session looked at the different components that make a healthcare system effective, how to measure these, the challenges we face in particular in Central and Eastern Europe and what citizen can do shape the healthcare they desire.
Key components of a well-functioning healthcare system, Wilm Quentin, BE
Special focus on healthcare in CEE, Vlad Voiculescu, RO
Civic participation: how citizens shape the society they live in, Giovanni Moro, IT
Discussion
18.00-19.30 Cancer prevention
Chairs: Fredrik Johansson, SE, Gilberto Morgan, SE
The best cancer is the one you don’t get. However, effective prevention and early detection are easier said than done and this session explored the need, the potential and the challenges of successful cancer prevention.
Defining non-cancer, Clifton Leaf, USA
Tobacco control: saving lives and driving development, Gilberto Morgan, SE
Behavioral aspects of health-related prevention measures, Arja Leppaenen, SE
Cancer awareness and screening: the challenges, Zorana Maravik, SRB
Sunday, 21 October 2018
12.30-14.00 The cancer drugs we need: incentivizing innovation in cancer
Chairs: Bettina Ryll, SE, Charlotte Roffiaen, IT
Despite significant progress, cancer remains far from having come a curable disease for all and highlighting the need for novel therapies and therapeutic strategies. How can we incentivize the development of much-needed therapies while ensuring that the end product is accessible to all those in need?
Shaping Policies to drive innovation in cancer, Richard Sullivan, UK
Incentivizing innovation, Jack Scannel, UK
Patient advocate driving innovation, Bettina Ryll, SE
18.00-19.30 Snake oil sold as science: how to protect patients from pseudoscience
Chairs: Gilliosa Spurrier, FR, Matthias Preusser, AT
Pseudoscience and ‘fake news’ in medicine pose a particular threat to patients. This session helped participants to understand more about the issues, the role of responsible journalism and what patient networks currently do to keep patients safe!
Pseudoscience and having to destroy false hope: the oncologist’s perspective, Pascal Wolter, BE
Characteristics of pseudoscience, Edzard Ernst, UK
The responsibility of journalism in science reporting, Herny Scowcroft, UK
Preventing pseudoscience on patient forums, Gilliosa Spurrier, FR
Discussion
Monday, 22 October 2018
12.30-14.00 The Hans Keulen Memorial Debate: Cancer heroes: do they exist? And who are they?
Chair: Kathy Oliver, UK
Another edition of this special debate, this year's topic was whether cancer patients should be considered heroes - or not.
(caregiver) Anita Waldmann, DE, (patient) Martin Inderbitzin, CH
(clinician) Florian Strasser, CH (nurse) Andreas Charalambous, CY
Discussion with the audience and presentation teams
Conclusions
ESMO 2018 Patient Advocacy Track Supporters
The ESMO 2018 Patient Advocacy Track is kindly supported by the following companies:
- Amgen
- AstraZeneca
- BMS
- Lilly
- Merck
- Novartis
- Pfizer
- Roche