WBCPC joins All.Can International at the European Parliament to advance person-centred cancer care

Today, our Executive Director, Alex Filicevas, co-moderated a high-level event at the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by All.Can International. The event brought together Members of the European Parliament, health system experts, researchers, and patient advocates to address a question that sits at the heart of our work: what does it actually take to make cancer care work for the person receiving it?

The timing could not have been more important. Negotiations on the 2028-2034 EU budget are now under way, and decisions taken in the coming months will shape how Europe invests in health and cancer care for years ahead.

A new report with a clear message for policymakers

At the centre of the discussion was a major new publication from All.Can International: Implementing Person-Centred Cancer Care to Improve Outcomes, Experiences and Efficiency. The report draws on the expertise of 18 contributors from 11 countries, a structured review of scientific literature from 2018 to 2025, and 12 real-world case studies from countries around the world, including EU Member States.

Its core argument is straightforward: when care is genuinely built around the needs of the person, outcomes improve, waste is reduced, and health systems become more sustainable. Person-centred care is not just good for patients. It is good for the system.

Seven steps for policymakers and health system leaders

The report sets out seven concrete steps that decision-makers can take now:

• Enable swift and effective diagnosis so that people receive an accurate answer quickly, and treatment can begin without delay
• Provide coordinated, multidisciplinary care so that the different professionals involved in a person’s treatment work together, with the patient at the centre
• Use digital technologies to improve care pathways by connecting systems, reducing delays, and freeing up clinical time
• Expand remote care and telemedicine to reduce travel and bring care closer to where people live
• Strengthen communication and shared decision-making so that people understand their options and feel genuinely involved in choices about their own care
• Embed survivorship and supportive care throughout the pathway rather than treating it as an afterthought once active treatment ends
• Provide financial advice and support to patients, survivors and their families because a cancer diagnosis has economic consequences that go far beyond the clinic

These are not theoretical proposals. The report includes examples from countries already putting each of these steps into practice, including EU Member States. What is missing is the political commitment to make them the norm everywhere.

Why this matters for people affected by bladder cancer

For the people we represent, living with and beyond bladder cancer, these seven steps reflect what we hear every day. Too many people wait too long for a diagnosis. Too many feel that decisions about their care are made without them. Too many reach the end of treatment without adequate support for what comes next.

Person-centred care means changing that. It means a health system that walks alongside you, not one you have to navigate alone.

We were proud to bring this perspective into the room at the European Parliament and to ensure that the patient voice was part of this important conversation.

Read the full report

We encourage everyone to read, share and use this report in advocacy conversations with policymakers and health system leaders.

Download the full report here.