East Midlands MEP hosts meeting on Advanced Breast Cancer

East Midlands Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin has today hosted a lunch meeting about Advanced Breast Cancer in the European Parliament.

The meeting, with MEPs from different political parties, representatives from EU and national patient groups, medical societies and public interest groups, was called to discuss ways of ensuring that cancer remains at the top of the political agenda.

During her speech to the meeting, Miss McClarkin welcomed the recent launch of the European Cancer Patients’ Bill of Rights, and stating that 30% of women with early breast cancer go on to develop advanced breast cancer.

A ‘call to action’ was also launched at the meeting, with four key points:

1. Access to care and treatment for patients with advanced breast cancer should be specifically addressed by cancer policies within the European Union; priority should be given to early and accurate diagnosis as well to the establishment of specialist breast units providing appropriate, up-to-date treatments supported by multidisciplinary teams.

2. Member States should provide multidisciplinary breast centres by 2016 in accordance with the EU Guidelines for quality assurance in breast cancer screening and diagnosis. These centres should identify the specific needs for patients with advanced breast cancer and the accreditation of these specialist centres should be prioritised.

3. The European Commission should support the publication of up-to-date and comprehensive data so as to inform policy making and research into advanced breast cancer; the establishment of patient registries should be supported.

4. Health inequalities should be addressed as a political priority so that patients with advanced breast cancer in all Member States, and of all ages, have optimal and timely access to the appropriate specialised care.

Speaking afterwards, Miss McClarkin said:

“I was proud to host the roundtable on Advanced Breast Cancer A Call to Action today. Breast Cancer is a terrible disease and we need to be doing everything we can to increase screening, diagnosis and treatment of it.

“I am more than aware of the impact Breast Cancer can have as my family has had personal experience of the disease as with my mother passed away from breast cancer at the age of 48 as well as my Aunt.

“There was a definite consensus that more needs to be done to share best practice and treatment across the EU to ensure equal access to care, and I’d urge Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament to take on board the points in our call to action.”