8-9 February
Empowering Cancer Care: Ground-breaking new EU Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme launched in Barcelona
8 February, Barcelona – Cancer patients in Europe are treated by an array of different specialties and professions: medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, cancer nurses and many others. For cancer care to be delivered optimally, close collaboration among these professionals is essential. But that requires a thorough knowledge of each other’s roles and goals in treating any patient.
The INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project is a flagship initiative of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan to provide new standards in teamwork in every cancer centre in Europe. This EU co-funded initiative allows various professional specialties across Europe to train together, improving collaboration and patient care through the creation of an Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme.
This week, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) is launching the kick off-event for INTERACT-EUROPE 100 in Barcelona, the second phase of the project which will bring this training programme to 100 cancer centres from around Europe.
This inaugural event serves not only to showcase the project’s goals and impact but also to gather stakeholder feedback and insights for what inter-specialty training they want for their own cancer teams.
The event will include:
- 8 February: An evening reception at the European Commission’s regional office in Barcelona, with project partners, national and European officials, policy makers and patient representatives.
- 9 February: Kick-off event at the Paediatric Cancer Centre Hospital Sant Joan de Deu (HSJD), including the presentation of the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project and the feedback in a free-flowing exchange with cancer centre directors and consortium members.
“This kick-off event offers a great opportunity to give a voice to every stakeholder involved, and to ensure that the INTERACT-EUROPE 100 is perfectly tailored to the learning needs of every cancer professional in Europe”, said Ricardo Audisio, Co-Chair of the project. “It is inspiring to see 38 organisations from 15 European countries come together to pioneer Inter-Specialty Cancer training, and implement this programme in 100 cancer centres around the continent”, added Maja Cemazar, also Co-Chair of INTERACT-EUROPE 100. Attendees are expected to have direct impact on the future of this innovative training programme.
It’s Time to Accelerate Support for Europe’s Oncology Professionals
The ECO Workforce Network brings together those serving on the front lines of cancer care in Europe – addressing their specific policy needs and ensuring their patients have the right to specialised, multidisciplinary cancer care.
These priorities are reflected in the recently unveiled ‘Time to Accelerate: Together Against Cancer Manifesto‘, a proposed roadmap for the next European Commission to be elected in June. Key recommendations include ways to address the current workforce crisis and inequalities in patient access to key oncology professions.
INTERACT-EUROPE 100 is just one of many ways in which the European Cancer Organisation responds to the different needs of the oncology workforce across Europe.
