The ‘P’ Word: event on the challenge of urinary problems faced by people living with prostate and bladder cancer

On December 7, 2022, Alex Filicevas, Executive Director of the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition, co-chaired a joint event in the European Parliament on the challenge of urinary problems faced by people living with prostate and bladder cancer.

The event was a collaboration between the European Cancer Organisation, European Association of Urology, European Association of Urology Nurses – EAUN, World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems, Eurocarers and Europa Uomo.

MEP Tomislav Sokol hosted the event in the European Parliament in Brussels.  He opened the event by highlighting the significant investment and prioritisation of cancer in the EU. MEP Sokol also elaborated on how there are several proposals under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan which will respond to the needs of EU citizens and patients.

The bladder cancer patient community was represented by Associazione PaLiNUro, a World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition member organisation supporting people affected by bladder cancer in Italy.

 Laura Magenta and Anna Pangolini from the Associazione PaLiNUro talked through personal experience of living with urinary incontinence. They also presented the findings and recommendations of survey of bladder cancer patient in Italy affected by urinary incontinence, and the struggles with finding appropriate incontinence products, which allow to maintain a better quality of life.

At the event, we had the chance to hear from more patient representatives as well as clinicians, researchers and policymakers:

• Andre Deschamps from EuropaUomo presented the results of their patient surveys, EUPROMS, which is patient-led and has collected the patient-reported outcomes of over 5000 prostate cancer patients across Europe.
• Mary Lynne Van Poelgeest-Pomfret, from WFIPP, represented the perspective of people Impacted by incontinence and pelvic pain and the stigma that comes with this challenging condition.
• Claire Champeix from Eurocarers association made the links between Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Care Strategy.
• Prof Van Kerrebroeck from the EAU policy office introduced a strategic approach to responding to these challenges under the theme of cure, care and prevention.
• Paolo Guglielmetti, from DG Sante in the European Commission presented the Commission’s updated recommendations on early detection and the inclusion of prostate cancer to this.
• Tiina Vaittinen, researcher involved in the Tampere University ‘PadProject’ discussed sustainable continence care.
• Prof Christine Chomienne, Vice Chair of the European Commission’s Cancer Research Mission Board presented the aims of the research mission by 2030.

We invite you to read the recommendations to the European Commission and the EU Beating Cancer Plan on how to increase the quality of life of people living with prostate and bladder cancer, while tackling the challenges of urinary incontinence, including use of products which damage the environment.

If you have missed the event or would like to revisit the discussions, we invite you to watch the recording on our Youtube Channel.