European Cancer Organisation

23/03/2026

23/03/2026

‘For Dr Isabel Rubio, leadership begins somewhere far more intimate: in listening.’

In the latest edition of Cancer World, ECO President Isabel Rubio reflects on the priorities for her mandate, ECO’s ambitions for the next EU multiannual budget, and the leadership values guiding her work.

In this interview, she shares why stakeholder trust, compassionate listening, and a focus on systemic resilience are central to advancing cancer policy and care in Europe.

Read the full interview below:

💬 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑩𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈

At 26, Dr. Isabel Rubio saw women being told they needed a mastectomy — with no discussion, no choice, no voice. That moment shaped her promise: to practise medicine differently.

Today, as President of the European Cancer Organisation, she carries that ethos onto a larger stage — transforming how Europe delivers, governs, and invests in cancer care.

Her approach is simple yet radical: listen first, act with equity, lead with trust. Inequality is not just a statistic; it’s a life-or-death reality, from screening to treatment.

Under her leadership, ECO bridges clinicians, patients, and policymakers, turning ambition into action.

Rubio’s message is profound: “𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.”

👉 Read the full CancerWorld article by Knarik Arakelyan here: https://cancerworld.net/leading-with-listening-why-isabel-rubio-believes-europes-cancer-future-depends-on-trust-equity-and-political-courage/

OncoDaily

23/03/2026

What can a European cancer information portal do for patients and healthcare professionals? 💡

At the next stakeholder forum for the EU-CIP project, we explore how basic access to a website can strengthen patient awareness and clinical communication across the cancer pathway.

Join a conversation with patients, clinicians and policymakers on:

⌨️ Supporting patient empowerment and cancer knowledge in the digital age
🏥 Integrating trusted cancer information into accepted clinical practice
👉 Improving access to reliable information in all member states

📆 16 April, 15:00 – 17:00 CEST, Online

Join us at: https://www.europeancancer.org/events/419:shaping-europe-cancer-information-portal.html

20/03/2026

The future of cancer infrastructures and networks in Europe starts here! 🚀

Join our next in-person policy forum to explore how cancer infrastructures and pan-European cancer networks can be sustained and strengthened for better equity in cancer outcomes. 🗣️

Experts and policymakers will discuss the most effective strategies and present a landmark policy briefing. 📢

📆 22 April
⌚ 10:30 – 12:00 CEST
📍 European Parliament, Brussels
🔗 https://www.europeancancer.org/events/414:cancer-infrastructures-networks-policy-forum.html

Be part of the conversation and help define the future of European cancer care! 💡

19/03/2026

The networking event is currently underway in Ruse, Bulgaria,
Participants from Europe’s innovative Interprofessional Cancer Training programme are exchanging insights on how the programme is strengthening collaboration across different oncology disciplines.

During these two days, attendees are:
💡 Discussing practical approaches to enhance inter-professional teamwork
🤝 Exploring ways to dismantle professional silos through focused workshops
📊 Highlighting how this training is improving patient care
🌍 Connecting with new colleagues to share ideas and elevate everyday practice

As the last of three regional events, this gathering continues to support cancer professionals across Europe in learning from one another and driving forward collaborative, person-centred care. 💙

Learn more about INTERACT-EUROPE 100: https://www.europeancancer.org/eu-projects/impact/interact-europe-100

19/03/2026

Across Southeast Europe, the tools to prevent HPV-related cancers already exist. The challenge now is ensuring we actually use them.

Organised by the European Cancer Organisation, in partnership with the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) and the Romanian Football Federation, policymakers, clinicians, patient advocates and public health experts will come together in Bucharest for a landmark regional meeting. 🗣️

The event will focus on next steps for the wider region, including:

🎯 sharing each country’s experiences on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening
🎯 identifying barriers that still slow implementation
🎯 presenting practical tools and resources to support countries in the implementation phase
🎯 strengthening collaboration between policymakers, clinicians and patient organisations

The goal? To accelerate progress against the many cancers caused by the ubiquitous human papillomavirus.

📍 Bucharest, Romania (Romanian Football Federation)
📅 11 May, 14:00 – 18:30 EEST (13:00 - 17:30 CEST)
🔗 https://www.europeancancer.org/events/420:one-region-one-goal.html

More details on the programme and speakers coming soon.

17/03/2026

Today at the European Parliament, the European Cancer Organisation launched the new European Women and Cancer Policy Index, a first-of-its-kind tool to highlight how countries across Europe are addressing women’s specific needs across the cancer pathway.

Policymakers, clinicians, experts and patient advocates gathered to discuss the many inequalities women continue to face in prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life.

The message was clear: This must change – and quickly. The new Index helps by shining a bright light on these gaps and supports more gender-sensitive cancer policies across Europe.

Thank you to all who joined us for this important discussion.

Learn more about the index: https://europeancancer.org/womenandcancerpolicyindex

16/03/2026

How can Europe improve access to trusted cancer information for patients and healthcare professionals? 💻

This event from the EU-CIP project, coming on 16 April, will gather patients, clinicians and policy experts to help shape the future European Cancer Information Portal.

Participants will:

💻 Learn about the EU-CIP project and its goals for improving access to evidence-based cancer information
🗣️ Join a discussion centred on patient empowerment, accessibility and digital health literacy
🩺 Explore how trusted cancer information tools could be integrated into clinical practice to support patient–clinician communication

📆16 April, 15:00–17:00 CET, Online

Register at: https://www.europeancancer.org/events/419:shaping-europe-cancer-information-portal.html

16/03/2026

📢 May we kindly ask for your input?

This survey from eCAN Plus and is mapping digital health literacy resources that address prevention – and collecting specific examples.

🕐 The survey takes only 5 minutes, plus 1 or 2 minutes for each resource you wish to share.
Your input will help identify and showcase the type of digital health literacy programmes that could prove helpful to others across Europe.

📅 Deadline extended to this Friday, 20 March

🔗 Please take the survey here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/ed65263b-23a0-cdda-d5ef-0d52f95590b9

16/03/2026

There’s still time to join us at the European Parliament for a deep dive into preventing liver cancer through hepatitis elimination. 🗣️

Liver cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in Europe, yet most cases are linked to viral hepatitis, a preventable and treatable condition. 👈

In less than two weeks, we’ll explore how stronger hepatitis control programmes can be financed and integrated into national cancer plans, helping turn commitments under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan into concrete action.

📍 European Parliament, Brussels
🕒 24 March, 13:30–15:00 CET
🔗 Register in person or online at: https://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/news/european-parliament/

10/03/2026

📢 Las chance to take part in the survey

Join the project to help identify priorities for health literacy across cancer prevention, care, and survivorship.

Health professionals, researchers, patient advocates, patients, and carers are welcome to share their insights and perspectives.

🕒 Takes 10–15 minutes
🔒 Anonymous
📚 Your input will help inform future education, practice, and policy

Don’t wait. Please take the survey here:

👉https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAO__SU9klhUMTNISENWR1pKTExNNU1ZRkY1SVA4UVRERC4u&

10/03/2026

Patient voices are essential to shaping better cancer policies.

Dominika Kormanová, patient advocate and board member of Europa Donna – The European Breast Cancer Coalition, will join the launch of the Women and Cancer Policy Index.

Diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32, Dominika later became actively involved in patient advocacy, working to improve patient pathways, access to medicines and the development of Comprehensive Cancer Centres.

Her perspective highlights why policies must reflect the real experiences of women living with and beyond cancer.

🗓️ 17 March
🕥 10:45 – 12:00
📍 European Parliament, Room Spinelli 3H1
(In-person only)

Register now to secure your place.

🔗 https://europeancancer.org/events/413:women-and-cancer-launch-of-policy-index.html