Komitejas
Eiropas Parlaments
Lūdzam aizpildīt šo lauku

COVID-19 Consultation

Lessons from a public health crisis: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care

Doctor speaking with a female cancer patient who is wearing a mouthmask who is receiving chemotherapy treatment in a hospital
The COVID-19 pandemic has severe consequences for cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment © Image used under the license from Adobe Stock
Cancer care can't wait: the report with the results of the Beating Cancer Committee's survey on the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer prevention, health services, cancer patients and research has been published in April 2021. Click on the link below to access the full report.


The public consultation was developed to draw lessons from the current COVID-19 pandemic and was designed to gain insight and recommendations on questions focusing on:

  • Addressing immediate and current impacts of the pandemic on cancer care in the EU.
  • Rebuilding cancer services in Europe after the present period of health crisis has passed.
  • Long-term role and means of EU cooperation in health and cancer care after COVID-19.

Key recommendations from respondents to the EU and Member States:

  • Build more resilient and equal health systems for disease and crisis preparedness across the EU
  • Increase cross-border collaboration for cancer prevention programmes and other cancer services.
  • Extend the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
  • Tackle the shortages in medicines, equipment and medical staff by investing in European production and pan-European educational programmes
  • Address the mental health challenges related to lockdowns and imposed restrictions and include it as an integral part of cancer care
  • Promote the use of technological solutions in medicine and cancer care
  • Invest in digital health literacy to better equip both patients and health care professionals for daily clinical practice
  • Take a more 'holistic' approach to fight cancer, involving all relevant stakeholders.

BECA MEPs discussed the findings and recommendations of the report on 10 May.

Click on the link below to access the full BECA Public consultation Synopsis Report - The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer prevention, health services, cancer patients and research: lessons from a public health crisis.

Please contact the BECA secretariat for any questions or comments you may have about the survey: beca-secretariat@ep.europa.eu