European Week Against Cancer: Insights from Professor Jean-Yves Blay

Ahead of the European elections, to mark the European Week Against Cancer, Euractiv met with Professor Jean-Yves Blay, Director of Public Policy for the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) to look at what’s next in the fight against cancer.

The Beating Cancer Plan is held up as one of the main achievements of the current mandate. “Mission Cancer and the Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP), were major steps forward,” says Blay. 

As we approach ‘World No Tobacco Day’, I ask if he is concerned about the delays in the review of tobacco legislation. “I am impatient, so I want things delivered quickly. It’s frustrating when you know that so many lives could be saved.” 

He’s particularly concerned about the growing evidence emerging on alternatives to tobacco, “e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products pose serious risks to health, the Commission’s lack of action in this area is frankly incomprehensible.” 

It is fair to say that ESMO and other health actors were furious when the European Commission decided not to act on the Council’s recommendation on smoke-free environments, initially scheduled for publication in 2023. The statement described the Commission’s failure to act as “an appalling lack of judgement”.

The decision not to take action came shortly after the Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, had found that the Commission’s lack of transparency in its meetings with the tobacco industry, violated the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and constituted maladministration.

Blay says prevention is by far the most cost-effective way to control cancer. ESMO has marked some success in improving legislation on exposure to occupational carcinogens and air quality, but says there is still some way to go. 

On vaccine-treatable cancers Blay says, “it is super clear” that vaccination are working very well, giving the example of Sweden and Spain, which have almost eradicated HPV-related disease. 

He says benchmarking between countries helps motivate countries who aren’t doing so well to realise they are falling behind.

“Governments do not have unlimited resources, but it’s quite easy to identify high-risk people.” Screening makes a huge difference to treatment, “early diagnosis means smaller tumours, which means a better prognosis.” Apart from benefits to the individual patient there are wider societal and economic pluses, to having a healthier population. 

Fair access to finance

On code of conduct for non-discriminatory access to financial services for cancer survivors, initially tabled 2023, Blay expresses disappointment. “I come from a family of doctors. My father had cancer when he was 30, before I was born. He couldn’t get a mortgage for the rest of his life, luckily my mother was able to. That is so unfair!”

He says that both France and Spain introduced legislation granting cancer survivors ‘the right to be forgotten’ after a five year period, and the financial system has “not collapsed.” 

European competitivity is at stake

Finally, in the area of research, ESMO’s top priorities will be ensure the research budget is set to at least €200 billion, within this there are specific provisions for rare cancers, personalised cancer therapies, and use of AI to support clinical decision-making.

“Artificial intelligence is going to provide tools which will help us to move faster and better – we’re going to gain valuable time.” 

However, this is not just about funds. Echoing some of the concerns in the Letta report, he says “there is also a question of competitiveness.” Wider regulatory frameworks can be too burdensome and is holding Europe back compared to developments in the US and Asia, he believe. Highlighting the In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVMD), where the interplay with the Clinical Trials Regulation is resulting in unintended consequences, creating , and barriers to treatments being assessed and reaching patients.

“Sometimes there are good ideas, but not enough consideration of the capacity to implement them.”

[Edited by Rajnish Singh]

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