Ana Amariutei, Youth Cancer Europe patient advocate spoke in February at the conference titled “Equity, Excellence and Innovation: Modern Cancer Care for All” held in Stockholm and organised by the Swedish Presidency, together with the European Commission.

Ana addressed problems faced by young cancer patients and survivors that relate to late detection, late diagnosis, no access to modern treatment or clinical trials, no access to fertility preservation services and ART as well as issues surrounding mental health support. She asked the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission to provide a sense of unity and security by ensuring appropriate access to medical care to every single cancer patient in Europe regardless of their gender, race, socio-economical status, sexual orientation, place of birth, residency, & religious or spiritual beliefs, as all stakeholders work towards eradicating inequalities in cancer care.

In EU-CAYAS-NET, YCE is leading Work Package 5 addressing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Stay tuned for more materials on the subject, including an EDI training programme, a conference in 2024, and a policy paper published reflecting the collective opinion of European young people with cancer on EDI.