ECPC has launched a collaborative effort, involving health and youth stakeholders, to involve young people in communicating health messages more effectively. Young people, caught between 'child' and 'adult', are often overlooked as a separate category when developing health policies, but this is the age in which health behaviours are set for life. Smoking, diet, exercise - the patterns established between 15 and 25 will have health impacts for the rest of our lives. In order to make informed decisions, young people have a basic and essential right to clear and accessible information, breaking down scientific evidence to a comprehensible level without being patronising or paternalistic.

One Kiss One Voice: Youth Congress for Health, taking place in Brussels on March 22-23 2012, invites young delegates from across Europe to discuss what information they want to have access to, and how they want to receive this. They will formulate 'key messages' for those people making policies and developing health awareness information targeted at young people. These key messages will then be formulated into a guide which will be distributed to MEPs, Commission Officials, national health ministries and ministers as well as regional health authorities. Young people will be able to discuss their ideas informally, with input from stakeholders and MEPs.

This workshop, focusing on Patient Registries, will be the platform at the beginning of 2012 to call to all relevant stakeholders with a common aim and commitment to foster the establishment of Rare Disease/Rare Cancers Patient Registries throughout Europe.

Teenage Cancer Trust’s conference is the only international meeting which focuses uniquely on the issues relevant to adolescent oncology. It is therefore the “must attend” event for all involved in the treatment and management of cancer in teenage and young adult patients. The 2012 event will again take place in central London and the Registration Fees have been held from previous years.

EurocanPlatform is an EC-funded project that will bring together 28 European cancer institutions and organisations in a unique collaboration. The centres will share infrastructure and collaborate on projects to help advance cancer research and treatment.

ECPC Volunteer Internship: Spring 2012

The European Cancer Patient Coalition is recruiting a volunteer intern for spring 2012. ECPC is a European umbrella organisation, with over 300 cancer patient member organisations from 42 countries. In addition to sharing best practice between these organisations, we represent the rights and concerns of cancer patients in the EU institutions and processes. You will be joining a small team and will have opportunities to get involved in other areas of our activity.

Mobile Health Competition - ECPC and other patient groups join with eyeforpharma to improve the lives of young cancer patients

Teenagers with cancer often report feelings of isolation, bitterness, confusion, pain, and fear as they struggle through a life-threatening disease before their lives have taken full shape.

Despite these very real challenges, many teens with cancer find their needs unmet. A 2009 study out of Sydney reported that most teens with cancer have an average of 15 unmet needs, which range from basic failings in provided care to unaddressed psychological distress.

What can Personalised Medicine offer cancer patients and how can Personalised Medicines be integrated into healthcare provision in Europe? These were the two central questions posed at the workshop entitled “‘Realising the potential of Personalised Medicine in oncology, key steps for patient access’ on November 23rd in the European Parliament. The workshop was jointly organised by the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) and the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI). The establishment of this cooperation marks an important step forward in the collaboration of health professionals and the patient community. The event was hosted by the Members of the European Parliament Nessa Childers and Petru Luhan.