Cancer care in Belgium

The quality of cancer care in Belgium, as measured by five-year survival for treatable cancers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer, is better than the EU average.1 However, cancer remains one of the most common causes of death. Incidence and prevalence of cancer have been rising along with an ageing population and more effective treatment solutions.2 The most frequently reported cancers for males are, respectively, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. For females the most frequent cancer is breast cancer, with more than one third of reported cases, followed first by colon cancer and lung cancer.3 The challenge to improve cancer care and ensure sustainable cancer care remains high on the agenda and calls for action.

All.Can Belgium initiative

All.Can Belgium is a multi-stakeholder platform working to mobilise the Belgian cancer care community in order to achieve specific, implementable and ambitious projects. The aim is to achieve sustainable, efficient, innovative and patient-centred cancer care. All.Can Belgium brings together patient and care representatives, healthcare professionals, health experts, health economists, policymakers and industry representatives who are committed to this objective.

All.Can Belgium has five main goals:

  • Align stakeholders on a joint vision on cancer care and create stakeholder support for this vision
  • Initiate and realise projects to deliver on the vision
  • Propose solutions that contribute to more efficient and innovative cancer care
  • Proactively provide input to the policy debate
  • Create societal support for the vision.

The scope of the All.Can Belgium initiative includes the following dimensions:

  • The value and adoption of innovative, improved approaches in cancer care
  • Resource allocation
  • Patient access
  • Quality of care.

Activities and milestones

  • All.Can Belgium became an official All.Can national initiative on 11 June 2018
  • Memorandum and vision document. These documents contain key messages from the All.Can Belgium community on patient centricity and innovative, sustainable cancer policies. They lay the foundation for the solution-oriented projects that are being developed with key stakeholders in cancer care
  • All.Can Belgium had their event at Solvay Library in Brussels on 14 March 2019
  • Publication of key findings for Belgium from the All.Can patient survey June/July 2019

 

References

  1. OECD/European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. 2017. Belgium: Country Health Profile 2017, State of Health in the EU. Available here: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/belgium-country-health-profile-2017_9789264283299-en [accessed: June 2018]
  2. Cancon. 2017. European Guide on Quality Improvement in Comprehensive Cancer Control. Available here: https://www.iccp-portal.org/sites/default/files/resources/Cancon_PolicyPaper2_032017.pdf [accessed: June 2018]
  3. Stichting Tegen Kanker. Kanker in cijfers. Available here: https://www.kanker.be/alles-over-kanker/kanker-cijfers [accessed: June 2018]

All.Can Belgium interviewed Prof. Dr. Ahmad Awada, Chair of All.Can Belgium’s Board of Directors

Earlier this year, All.Can Belgium published its memorandum on oncology care in Belgium. This listed a series of well-reasoned recommendations for the next government,…

Read more

Contact

Secretariat: Dr. Pia Cox website: www.all-can.be

secretariat@all-can.be

Executive Board of Directors

Dr Pia Cox

Executive Officer

Professor Dr. Ahmad Awada (Chair of the Board)

Jules Bordet Institute

Gilles Poncé

Bristol‑Myers Squibb

Frédéric Maddaléna

University Hospital St Luc (UCL), Brussels

Dr Willemart Bernard

University Hospital St Elisabeth (UCL), Namur

An Cloet

MSD Belgium & Luxembourg

Prof. Dr. Anne Rogiers

CHU Brugmann

Benoit Mores

MLOZ

Jean-Michel Luyckx

Novartis

Dr Véronique Le Ray

Foundation against Cancer

Members

Professor Dr. Jan van Meerbeeck

Antwerp University Hospital

Dr Marc Vanden Bulcke

Sciensano (Kankercentrum)

Olivier Grégoire

Health economist

François Perl

Solidaris

Thomas Limberopoulos

Roche

Dr Kevin Punie

GZA Ziekenhuizen

Mitchell Silva

Patient Centrics ~ Esperity

Robert Henkinet

Janssen

Professor Dr. Ingel Demedts

Thoracic Oncologist AZ Delta

Johan Thibo

Prolong vzw

Florence Duvieusart ( in memoriam)

ALK Positive Belgium

André Stoop

NCSLC survivor

François Daue

Solstisse

Professor Dr Thierry Berghmans

Thoracic Oncologist Institut Jules Bordet

Dr. Kristof Cuppens

Thoracic Oncologist Jessa Ziekenhuis

Ina Gesquiere

AstraZeneca

Anne De Middelaer

Gynca´s

Jo Jansen

Amgen

Prof.Dr. Paul Van Schil

IASLC

Dr Philip Lerut

Dr. Henry Paridaens

All.Can Belgium interviewed Prof. Dr. Ahmad Awada, Chair of All.Can Belgium’s Board of Directors

Earlier this year, All.Can Belgium published its memorandum on oncology care in Belgium. This listed a series of well-reasoned recommendations for the next government, divided into four key topics: prevention & screening,…

COVID-19 Patient Survey

All.Can Belgium has launched a patient survey to investigate the impact of covid19 on cancer patients.

All.Can Belgium – COVID response

Learn about the latest developments with regards to All.Can Belgium’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

All.Can Belgium Press Release

Ensuring a rapid resumption of oncology care after the COVID-19 crisis: All.Can Belgium commits to provide expertise and support to the Group of Experts in charge of the Exit Strategy…

All.Can Belgium officially launched at historic Solvay library

On 14 March 2019 the Belgian All.Can initiative held its launch event in Brussels.

Registration opens for All.Can Belgium launch event

All.Can Belgium has announced the agenda and opened registration for its official launch event.

All.Can Belgium announces official launch event and newsletter

All.Can Belgium has developed a newsletter ahead of its official launch event in March 2019.

National All.Can initiative launched in Belgium

Belgium has launched its own national All.Can initiative, joining other countries across the world.

Past events

All.Can Belgium launch event

14 March 2019

Brussels, Belgium

During the event on 14 March 2019, All.Can Belgium will publish its vision document and a policy note reflecting on the Belgian needs in relation to efficiency and innovation in cancer care. 

OPTIMOC: optimizing the MOC at Belgian oncology departments

Read more here.

COVID-19 Patient Survey

All.Can Belgium has launched a patient survey to investigate the impact of covid19 on cancer patients. Read more here.

Vision document

The All.Can Belgium vision document reflects on Belgian needs in relation to efficiency and innovation in cancer care. It is based on a multi-stakeholder approach, brings ideas and suggestions to policymakers, and aims to inspire everyone concerned with better cancer care.

Memorandum

Optimising cancer care requires firm and collaborative actions across the whole cancer care continuum. The All.Can Belgium memorandum presents 10 key steps in such an approach in line with the initiative’s vision.

All.Can patient survey Belgium

All.Can Belgium would like to thank the 391 Belgian respondents who took part in the All.Can patient survey, and the organisations that helped to distribute the survey. The results show that despite the high quality of cancer care, we need to continue to innovate for greater efficiency and patient centricity.

  • You can download key findings from the All.Can patient survey in Belgium here.
  • The results are integrated in the All.Can international patient survey report that you can find here.

All.Can Belgium newsletter

Disclaimer:

The All.Can initiative is made up of leading representatives of patient organisations, policymakers, healthcare professionals, science and industry. All the publications produced under the initiative reflect the consensus of All.Can members who have full editorial control. The All.Can initiative in Belgium is financially supported by Bristol Myers Squibb (Sustaining partner and founding member), MSD (Sustaining partner and founding member), Novartis ( Sustaining partner),Roche (Funding member), Janssen (Funding member) ,AstraZeneca (Funding member) and Amgen ( Supporting member). None of the content developed in discussions and activities of the All.Can initiative contains direct or indirect references to specific medicinal products or therapies. Use of content from this website is permitted provided that the source of information is clearly mentioned.