Dominika Kormanová, Board Member at EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“This week, I took part in a discussion at the European Parliament during the launch of the new Transforming Breast Cancer Together (TBCT) policy report, Breast Cancer in Europe: From Policy to Progress.
As a member of the Board of EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition, I brought the patient perspective into a conversation about what progress in breast cancer care should actually mean for people living with the disease.
One of the topics I spoke about was metastatic breast cancer – a reality that still remains too often invisible in policies, registries and healthcare systems. Too often, our conversations focus on early diagnosis and survivorship, while those living with metastatic disease remain in the background. Yet they are not a small subgroup. They are mothers, daughters, partners, professionals, carers and community members living with cancer every single day.
I spoke about the need for dedicated commitments to metastatic breast cancer within national cancer plans, timely access to specialist multidisciplinary care, innovative treatments, psycho-oncology services, symptom management, and support focused on quality of life.
I also highlighted the experiences patients bring that do not always appear in policy documents: uncertainty, financial stress, family responsibilities, returning to work, and the emotional burden of living with an incurable disease. These experiences deserve a place at the decision-making table.
When asked what one concrete action I would prioritise in the next year, my answer was simple: We need better data collection on metastatic breast cancer across Europe. If we do not count patients, we cannot understand their needs. And if we do not understand their needs, we cannot design the right services.
Because visibility is the first step towards action.
I joined this discussion alongside policymakers, experts and fellow advocates, including MEPs Romana Jerković, Adam Jarubas, Aurelijus Veryga, Tilly Metz, Stine Bosse and Tomislav Sokol as well as leading breast cancer experts such as Prof. Fatima Cardoso and Dr. med. Yvonne Niepelt. Bringing together policymakers, clinicians and patient advocates is exactly what we need if we want to translate commitments into meaningful change for patients.
And a personal thank you to Rute Marques for guiding the discussion with warmth, insight and professionalism.
The true test of every breast cancer policy is not whether it looks good on paper. It is whether a person diagnosed with breast cancer can actually feel the difference in their everyday life.
What gets measured gets prioritized. If we want better outcomes for people living with metastatic breast cancer, we must first make sure they are seen.”
Other articles about Dominika Kormanová on OncoDaily.
