24 November, 2020, 8.30 CET

As roughly 40% of all cancers are considered preventable, prevention is high on the political agenda. Vaccination programs, environmental policies and supporting healthy lifestyles feature prominently all over the world, including within Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. When prevention works, it is a cost-effective element of any long-term cancer control strategy. Little is known, however, about the actual effects and causal links between preventive policies on cancer incidence, and mortality. Evidence linking prevention to verified results is scarce, and often unclear regarding which policies and programs work, and to what degree. How strong is the case for cancer prevention? How should prevention be incorporated into national cancer plans? And ultimately, what is the role of prevention in evidenced-based health policy decision-making?

14 October, 2020, 8.30 CET

Centralizing cancer care has been a hot topic for quite some time. Many argue that hospitals are often too small and treat too few patients. Only by pooling resources and specialists in comprehensive cancer centers could high-quality care and equal access to innovative therapies be guaranteed. Yet, the Covid pandemic has shown that reducing the number of hospital beds may also be problematic for the quality of care. Broad availability of hospitals can help intercept epidemic outbreaks and maintain medical expertise – also in oncology. How should the future of inpatient cancer care look like in Europe? Is centralization still the way forward, or do we need to maintain broad operational readiness and expertise?.

Wednesday, 30 September, 20.00 – 21.00 CET (2.00 pm – 3.00 pm, US Eastern)

Given the huge societal and economic impacts of the coronavirus in Europe, everyone is hopeful that COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available – but what happens next? According to an Economist report from August 2018, in the past decade vaccination rates in some European countries have often fallen below those in parts of Africa. It claims that Italy, France and Serbia have lower child-vaccination rates than Burundi, Rwanda and Senegal. After billions of Euros have been invested by governments, what will happen if many EU citizens are unwilling to take the vaccine? What can be done now to ensure that those who need the COVID-19 vaccine most are treated first when the vaccines are available? Furthermore, how do EU member states plan on measuring and monitoring the safety of vaccines that have been rapidly put onto the market ̶ and who will ultimately be accountable? And from the patient’s perspective, how can we build trust around the EU’s management of COVID-19, which has become increasingly politicised?