On the 3rd and 4th of May 2012, leading physicians, scientists, healthcare policymakers and representatives of the industry met at the 2^nd European Forum on Oncology in order to discuss the challenges facing cancer research, prevention and therapy in Europe. Around 250 decision makers discussed how national and European efforts could be better linked and how the research carried out by pharmaceutical companies and clinicians can be optimised. EurocanPlatform was a Scientific Partner of the Event.
 

Hot Topic of the Future: Personalised Cancer Medicine
According to Prof. Hedvig Hricakh, Chair, Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, we are facing a revolution in medicine. The essence of this new approach to medicine involves biomarkers and the prospect of a predictive, personalized cancer treatment. With predictive biomarkers, practitioners will one day be able to predict the right drug at the right time to the right patient. She noted, however, that the research on the subject is still in its infancy.

The consensus at the congress was that it is crucial to define European strategies . Europe can play a leading role in research on predictive biomarkers with advanced technological platforms and by forming new strategies for clinical trials and new structures for evaluation of innovations and health economy. The increasing complexity in cancer research and care with a large number of subgroups of patients within a cancer diagnosis requires new forms of collaboration to reach the critical mass for innovative research. Therefore a European wide approach needs to be taken.

Prof. Richard Schilsky, Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Chicago stated that it will become increasingly important to distinguish the various subgroups within the individual type of cancer in order to more effectively target the prescription drugs used. We also need to be preemptive, meaning integrated action in prevention, early detection, and therapeutics. Prof. Dr. Alexander Eggermont, Director of the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, declared that medical research has been completely changed by molecular biology. Thus, scientists have identified 182 different genes which are responsible for the onset of breast cancer. If we can determine which genes are responsible for which type of breast cancer, then one day, we will be able to switch off the gene using targeted medication.
 

Prevention

Prevention is of significant importance in the fight against cancer. As Prof. Schilsky mentioned, 30 percent of cancer related deaths can be attributed to behavioral issues such as insufficient exercise, tobacco, alcohol and diet. Smoking is responsible for 20% of all worldwide cancer deaths itself. Thus, reducing smoking is a key task to prevent cancer.

Prevention is the most cost effective way to significantly reduce the number of new cancer cases and deaths worldwide. In 2030, according to Prof. Schilsky, the number of cancer deaths in the world will reach 13.2 million, 60 to 70 percent thereof will occur in countries with low to medium income levels. He projects that in 2030, more than 150 billion Euros will be spent on cancer treatment. With regard to cancer prevention, healthcare policymakers need to take more action; the participants at the conference agreed.

European oncologists need to link and collaborate better

A consensus emerged at the congress that the structures affecting cancer research and therapy in the EU are in urgent need of improvement and that the resources need to be better linked in order to meet the numerous challenges. A number of promising approaches are already being taken. Prof. Dr. Ulrik Ringborg, Director of the Cancer Center Karolinska in Stockholm, presented one of them, the EurocanPlatform, a network of the leading cancer research institutes in the EU, which also served as the scientific advisor of the European Forum on Oncology. The goal of the EurocanPlatform is to coordinate and structure the European cancer research and to facilitate the swift transfer of results from research to prevention, early detection and patient care. 28 European cancer institutes and societies now collaborate within the EurocanPlatform.

A German network which is in the process of being established and sparked great interest among the attendees is the German Consortium for Translationale Cancer Research (DKTK). The DKTK, which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the German Cancer Society and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), has taken on the responsibility of developing tailor made approaches to improve patient care by creating translational research entities, interlinked, at various locations across the country. The focus thereof is on innovative clinical studies and interdisciplinary research projects which improve the prevention and diagnosis of cancer and foster the swift rise of personalised medicine for cancer patients.
 

Major Differences in Outcomes within European Healthcare Delivery

The success of cancer treatment varies greatly within Europe. A comparison of the five year survival rates shows clear differences between countries. In addition, there are major differences within the various EU member states. Since these differences can neither be attributed to the use of certain cancer drugs nor only to issues of financing, it would appear that organizational structures are largely responsible for the quality of healthcare delivery. Accordingly, many speakers emphasized the need to create better organizational structures and improved linkage between research institutes, hospitals and ambulatory care centres.

A key question concerned how the research results can be translated more quickly into the daily clinical practice. Prof. Dr. Wim H. van Harten, President of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), another important cooperation partner of the European Forum, recommended the following aspects as the basis for a possible catalog of actions: first, the harmonisation and standardisation of research and healthcare delivery in the EU; second, the creation of a system of incentives (including financial incentives) to improve the internal and external communication in the EU; third, the creation of a uniform EU certification system; and finally, the development of programs which address and reduce the differences in outcomes between and within the member states of the EU.

Furthermore, congress participants called for the expansion of patient databases and clinical cancer registries. Clinical cancer registries are extremely important for evaluation of cancer therapy since they document what treatment actually helps and what is unsuccessful. The EU countries are at different stages in their creation and use of the data from cancer registers. This needs to change, and it provides a prime opportunity for achieving high common standards for quality within the EU.

A European roadmap with a strategy for future cancer research, prevention, and healthcare delivery is necessary in order to interlink the different national approaches and structures within the EU. This will be one of the topics discussed at the next European Forum on Oncology, to be held on the 13th and 14th of May 2012 in Brussels.

Source: Gesundheitsstadt Berlin GmbH