ESTRO Annual Report 2019

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6. Provision of advice to European bodies on radiation oncology policy

ESTRO and the ECF have published a White Paper on Radiotherapy – a tool that is useful to raise awareness of the benefits of radiotherapy to external stakeholders, including decision makers at the European level. Radiotherapy is undervalued and requires greater investment, according to our new published report. Entitled Radiotherapy: seizing the opportunity in cancer care , the white paper recommends a five-point plan to boost uptake of radiotherapy, and calls on all stakeholders – governments and policymakers, healthcare professionals, patients and professional societies, along with national and international research funds – to become ‘radiotherapy ambassadors’ to help raise awareness of the benefits of radiotherapy and secure its valuable position in comprehensive, optimal cancer care.

Partnerships & Policy

The report has been launched to coincide with the anniversary of the birth of Marie Curie, as part of the Marie Curie Legacy Campaign launched in 2017. Since its publication, the White Paper has been endorsed by many organisations that are active in the fight against cancer and national societies from around the world. On 31 January 2019, the ECF and ESTRO held a policy forum at the European Parliament hosted by Lieve Wierinck, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), to highlight the importance of radiotherapy as a core pillar of cancer care. The panel discussed the question: how can different stakeholders work together to address current gaps in access to radiotherapy across Europe?

European elections were held in 2019. They led to formation of a new Parliament (2019-2024) and a new College of Commissioners. The new Commission under Ursula Von der Leyen’s leadership was installed in November 2019 and has made the topic of cancer one of its top priorities. The new Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, will lead the EU Cancer Plan that was officially launched in February 2020. ESTRO will participate in the consultation and make sure that the voice of the radiotherapy community is heard.

For more information on the European Cancer Foundation and to download the White Paper: www.estro.org/Advocacy/ECF

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