Policymaker keynote

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 concluded its Public Day in Brussels with closing remarks from Ondřej Dostál, Member of the European Parliament (Czechia), who delivered an insightful keynote on the role of awareness, prevention, and policy collaboration in improving outcomes for people affected by bladder cancer.

A lawyer and policymaker, Mr Dostál highlighted the importance of addressing the environmental and social factorsthat contribute to cancer incidence, stressing that prevention and early diagnosis must remain at the heart of European health policy. He noted that across Central and Eastern Europe, many patients, especially those in vulnerable socioeconomic situations—continue to face barriers to timely diagnosis and specialist referral, leading to delays in treatment and poorer outcomes.

While the European Parliament cannot dictate national healthcare systems, MEP Dostál underscored the EU’s vital role in facilitating data sharing, promoting best practices, and ensuring fair access to innovative medicines. He pointed out that although EU legislation sets a 180-day limit for adding new treatments to national reimbursement lists, some countries take years to complete this process, leaving patients without access to life-extending therapies. “These unnecessary legal and administrative delays complicate the lives of too many patients,” he said, calling for greater transparency and accountability in how reimbursement decisions are made.

MEP Dostál also emphasised the importance of supporting patients and carers after treatment, and of strengthening cooperation between policymakers, clinicians, and patient organisations. “The patient movement is essential,” he said. “We must ensure that in the next EU financial programme, there is space and support for the work that organisations like yours are doing.”

His remarks closed a day of cross-sector collaboration, uniting patients, advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers under a shared message: that awareness and cooperation are key to making a difference in bladder cancer care.