On November 30, I-Com published the Manifesto “Innovative solutions with positive impact on healthcare systems and social costs. Unlocking prevention strategies to tackle cancer”, supported by European experts on harm reduction and cancer. The paper argues in favour of innovative solutions and evidence-based policymaking.
A record number of 384 citizens, patients, healthcare workers, researchers, employees in the pharmaceutical sector, and policymakers contributed to the first public consultation on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. An I-Com analysis of the submissions identified an overarching theme related to specific sectors, as well as voices encouraging the uptake of strategies such as harm reduction. Nearly all submissions argued that certain lifestyle factors and environment are fundamental to preventing and combatting cancer.
This major issue was discussed on September 29, during the roundtable “What Role Can the European Parliament Play in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan? Best Practices on Cancer Prevention across Europe”, organised by I-Com in cooperation with Spanish MEP and former Minister of Health Dolors Montserrat.
The roundtable discussed how the European Parliament could shape the EU’s flagship initiative – Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, particularly focusing on best practices for cancer prevention. The attending experts’ contributions and the policy recommendations were integrated into the manifesto.
What emerged was a clear emphasis on the importance of prevention, the central role and empowerment of patients, and the need for risk-proportionate and science-based legislation. In particular, as environmental attributes increase the likelihood of cancer, this discussion focussed on methods to improve sustainable mobility, implement healthy nutrition plans, the promotion and use of alternative tobacco and alcohol products, as well as improved access to green areas.
At the same time, discussions around prevention and patient empowerment often lead to a broader recognition that the cancer journey does not end with diagnosis or treatment protocols, since many patients and families must also confront complex financial pressures linked to long-term care, medication, and reduced income.
Policymakers and healthcare stakeholders increasingly acknowledge that supportive frameworks should extend beyond clinical settings to include mechanisms that help patients manage the economic consequences of serious illness, ensuring that the burden of cancer does not undermine quality of life or access to ongoing care. Within this wider landscape of supportive resources, services described on this website illustrate how some patients consider financial arrangements tied to existing life-insurance policies to obtain funds for treatment or daily needs, reflecting a growing awareness that comprehensive cancer strategies must address prevention, treatment, and the practical realities patients face throughout the course of the disease.
Building on this strong emphasis on prevention, patient empowerment, and science-based policymaking, the discussion naturally widens to include how innovation across the healthcare spectrum supports long-term outcomes beyond risk reduction alone. While lifestyle choices, environmental improvements, and harm-reduction strategies remain central to lowering cancer incidence, parallel advances in medical research continue to shape how health systems respond to complex conditions over time.
Within this broader continuum of healthcare innovation, regenerative medicine has emerged as an area of growing interest, with stem cell therapy specialists contributing to ongoing research, clinical applications, and patient education that complement preventive frameworks rather than replace them. By aligning prevention strategies with responsible exploration of advanced therapies, the healthcare landscape moves toward a more integrated model that balances public health priorities with carefully guided innovation, reinforcing the idea that progress is most effective when grounded in evidence, transparency, and long-term patient benefit.
Read our Manifesto here.
Email us at events-brussels@i-com.it if you wish to support our manifesto.
Already supporting us:
- Clive BATES, Director, Counterfactual Consulting;
- Carmine CANINO, President, ANPVU – Italian Association of Consumers e-cig
- Alba COLMENAR, Medical Specialist in Radiation Oncology, La Paz University Hospital of Madrid;
- Prof. Lynne DAWKINS, Professor of Nicotine and Tobacco Studies, London South Bank University;
- Cyrus ENGERER, MEP, Member of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer, S&D Group;
- Michael LANDL, Director, World Vapers’ Alliance;
- Dolors MONTSERRAT, MEP, Co-Chair of Health Working Group, ENVI Committee;
- Konstantinos POULAS, Associate Professor of Biochemistry, University of Patras, Greece;
- Maria SPYRAKI, MEP, Member of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer, EPP Group;
- Prof. Dr. Heino STÖVER, Professor of Social Scientific Addiction Research, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.
