How would policy makers, oncologists and multidisciplinary teams deal with this emerging data, as the European refugee crisis is a hot issue today?
Eniu: More attention is clearly needed on providing cancer treatment and care to this underserved population. Efforts should be made to raise awareness amongst politicians and policy makers. Special funds for migrants could be one solution.
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Beyond neglected populations, have survival rates for any type of cancer generally improved in the last five years in Europe?
Eniu: Yes, indeed. The results of EUROCARE-5 show that in general 5-year relative survival has increased steadily over time in Europe, with the greatest gains seen in Eastern Europe. Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate and rectal cancers experienced the largest increases in relative survival. Relative survival increased for head and neck (excluding laryngeal) tumours, breast, cervical, liver, gallbladder and extra hepatic biliary tract cancers. In lung tumours, the increase in relative survival was higher for squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma than for small and large cell carcinoma. Relative survival slightly increased for patients with skin melanoma but remained stable for oesophageal, pancreatic, penile and testicular cancers.
Would strategies to overcome country disparities in terms of cancer care quality further improve and help to level survival rates in people living in Europe, despite their nationality?
Eniu: Yes, but in the long term. It is a difficult situation, as survival is influenced by many parameters related to the general health status of the population, the infrastructure of the healthcare system, resources, and so on. ESMO is working to tackle disparities, and is committed to promoting the best care for all cancer patients. The two projects mentioned above (Ed. antineoplastic medicine availability survey and Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale) are clear examples of this commitment. However, it takes time to improve survival. We are making small steps in the right direction, and the cumulative effort will hopefully reap benefits in the long term.
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