Launch of the Knowledge Centre on Cancer
Knowing more about cancer will help us to understand it better.
IK – 07/2021
There
has been considerable progress in the fight against cancer in recent decades.
Nevertheless, cancer is still one of the most dangerous diseases both in
Germany and across Europe. Last year, around 2.7 million people were diagnosed
with cancer in Europe and about 1.3 million patients died of this disease.
Cancer is the most common cause of death amongst 45 to 65-year-olds.
The
first of the ten flagship initiatives of the EU's
Beating Cancer plan adopted by the EC, which is known as the “Knowledge Centre on
Cancer”, was launched end of June 2021. The Knowledge Centre on Cancer is an
online platform that will be used throughout the Member States to gather and
share knowledge and coordinate the measures to combat cancer.
The knowledge centre as an information portal
Collecting
and sharing knowledge about cancer are essential conditions for improving the
prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancers. In the future, all Member
States will be able enter the online database and call up the following
information: basic findings and statistics about cancer - which should help to
fill the gaps in the overall information. Current developments in cancer are
also intended to support assessing the benefits of the screening programmes.
Guidelines will be collected and made available to reduce diversities between
the Member States and regions in treating cancers. Ultimately, findings about
the connections between cancer and the environment should also help in
achieving a healthier lifestyle.
Using the knowledge base as a reference point for policy-making
The
online database that was recently launched is not only intended to collect and
make research results available for urgent prevention, diagnosis or cancer care
as this knowledge centre will also identify, agree upon, plan and coordinate
scientific and technical activities. It is also intended to be a digital-level
coordination tool for the many cancer initiatives.
The
overall objective of the Knowledge Centre on Cancer is to determine the need
for action in research or policy-making. "Pooling and sharing the latest
cancer research findings, innovations and technology as well as the new
personalised and digital solutions, is crucial for enabling health and research
authorities to better fight cancer", said Stella Kyriakides, the EU Health
Commissioner, at the launch of the knowledge database.
The EU’s Beating Cancer plan as the main pillar of the fight against cancer
With
the Beating Cancer plan that was adopted on 3 February 2021, the EC intends to
present a new overall concept, covering prevention, treatment and care for
cancer patients. The plan is sub-divided into four main areas of action –
prevention, early detection, diagnosis as well as treatment and improvement in
the quality of life. It is comprised of ten flagship initiatives and various
support measures. German social insurance supports the EU’s Beating Cancer
plan, especially in the three areas of prevention, early detection and
high-quality pharmaceutical care.