War on Cancer 2015

Prof Maher talks to ecancertv at the War On Cancer Meeting about the aftermath of cancer beyond initial treatment. She says "if you're going to have a 'War on Cancer' you need to have a reconstruction plan" - and this should include a proper recognition of co-morbidities and other knock on effects - social and economic. She argues the importance of lifestyle interventions as part of a "recovery package" to prevent the recurrence of cancer and susceptibly to other diseases. She also talks about the unpleasant after effects of anticancer treatments such as fatigue or problems with bowel control which, whilst small compared with other aspects of the cancer, have a big impact on people's daily lives.

Dr Eichler talks to ecancertv at the War On Cancer Meeting about 'medicine adaptive pathways' and the difficulties in assessing the appropriateness of different drugs. He notes the difficulty in balancing the desire for the most up-to-date treatments, versus the importance of tried and tested treatments which we know more about in deciding the value of a given medicine. Value is measured in clinical benefit as well as financial and the rate at which new treatments are explored is driven, he argues, by the insistence of patients on improvements. At the same time, patient's health cannot be put at risk by un-vetted drugs. He argues that finding the most effective evidence-based method of assessment and license modification is a 'journey' and that though some level of uncertainty will need to be accepted, it will diminish over time.

Dr Adshead talks to ecancertv at the War On Cancer Meeting about the impact of cancer on the workplace. She speaks of the "huge economic impact" that cancer has on business and productivity as 1 in 3 people who get cancer never return to work. She argues that the workplace has a role to play in promoting healthy lifestyles and that business and NGOs should collaborate to find solutions that will reduce the impact of chronic disease.

Dr Wild talks to ecancertv at the War on Cancer Meeting about the options we have to reduce the global financial burden caused by cancer, with a focus on prevention and early detection. He argues that if less people got cancer in the first place, health services could afford to treat patients with the most up-to-date (thus expensive) treatments. He also notes the importance of countries establishing cancer registries to enable an accurate understanding of the situation which will inform the necessary intervention.

Alojz Peterle talks to ecancertv at the War On Cancer Meeting about the rapidly growing problem of cancer. He argues that the rate of cancer occurrence is much faster than the response to it and that more needs to be done to promote prevention. Currently, governments in the EU spend an overwhelming amount more on their health systems than on prevention of disease, a discrepancy that he argues is short-sighted. He also asks for more attention to be given to survivors – many of whom are unable to go back to work – and the need for better palliative care.

Dr Adams talks to ecancertv at the War on Cancer Meeting about the need to take action on global tobacco use, especially in light of the increasing numbers of adolescents (and girls in particular) taking up smoking. He also raises the issue of obesity as a growing problem which increases the risk of cancer down the line and stresses the need to raise awareness in schools and among primary healthcare professionals. He argues that governments need to take action on tobacco use and obesity now to avoid future burden. Finally, he speaks of the "tsunami of cancer growth" that low and middle income countries are currently facing and the need for the EU to play a supportive role in addressing this.

Paul Catchpole talks to ecancertv at the War On Cancer Meeting about how healthcare systems can prioritise different treatments. He explains how the system has to be reformed. He argues that the amount that was spent on new treatments was unsustainable and that now many treatments are in limbo due to a lack of money that has meant that the doors have been closed to new applications. This he argues is a "burning platform for change" which requires UK organisations such as NHS England, NICE and medicines evaluation to be more "joined up" in order to find a workable solution.

John Ryan talks to ecancertv at the War On Cancer Meeting about European action on cancer, especially where prevention is concerned. He argues that this is particularly important when we consider that one three cancers is preventable, with a focus on smoking and the significant impact it has. He notes that only 3 percent of healthcare budgets is spent on prevention. Although EU member states make their own legislation regarding taxes, member states have signed up to the International Convention on Tobacco Control so should be making concerted efforts to prevent people from smoking. This has already been seen through the banning of advertising cigarettes and smoking in the workplace, but efforts need to continue. He also explains the need for better screening programmes.

Dr Muthu talks to ecancertv at the War On Cancer Meeting about the importance of the meeting in tackling the economic burden of cancer. As well as the loss of economic productivity, he also notes the rising costs of cancer drugs. Whilst cancer's status as a chronic disease is a "testament to the successes of healthcare", it does mean that people are more costly to look after, he explains. He argues that there is a "huge inequality of access" to care and that more needs to be done to make sure everyone is treated appropriately within the confines of a limited budget. Prevention is neglected, he says, and needs to be considered for economic reasons as well as for the sake of people's wellbeing.