OECI Organisation of European Cancer Institutes

11/05/2026

🎗️ What can you expect from the OECI Oncology Days 2026 programme?

Over three days in Warsaw, the programme will bring together perspectives from across the OECI network — from accreditation and quality improvement to patient partnership, prevention, AI, cancer networks, research collaboration and capacity building across Europe.

This year’s sessions will explore not only where cancer care is heading, but also how centres can LEARN from each other through PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES, shared challenges and CONCRETE EXAMPLES examples from across the network.

Across the programme, there is a strong focus on turning knowledge into action — creating space for exchange, new collaborations and ideas that can continue well beyond the meeting itself.

👉 OECI Members can benefit from free registration until 30 May.
Discover more about the Oncology Days 2026:
🌐 https://www.oeci.eu/Assembly.aspx

07/05/2026

Interested in the OECI Accreditation & Designation Programme?

On 21 May, OECI Organisation of European Cancer Institutes will host a webinar for cancer centres and networks that are exploring the programme or are currently preparing for accreditation.

Led by Simon Oberst, OECI Director of Quality and Accreditation, the session will provide a practical overview of the A&D pathway, including:
📌 how the programme is structured
📌 what centres can expect at each stage
📌 how accreditation supports quality improvement, governance and international collaboration

The webinar is designed for leaders and professionals involved in the strategic development and accreditation processes of cancer centres.

🗓 21 May 2026
⏰ 15:30–17:00 CET

🔗 Registration link: 97773d5f-8969-42e1-ad65-5e3792235b0c@3ba2cba8-3cd9-4a60-b7fe-f33432e80285" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/97773d5f-8969-42e1-ad65-5e3792235b0c@3ba2cba8-3cd9-4a60-b7fe-f33432e80285

07/05/2026

Thank you for being part of yesterday’s discussion at the European Parliament 🇪🇺

It was inspiring to see so many different perspectives come together around one shared idea: patient organisations need to be fully involved in shaping the future of cancer care and research 👏

Il 6 maggio abbiamo partecipato ad una sessione speciale 🇪🇺 organizzata presso il Parlamento UE dal gruppo di lavoro “OECI for Patients”, di cui FAVO è membro, intitolata “Dalla cura del cancro alla collaborazione: come l’OECI promuove la qualità, l’equità e la ricerca in Europa e oltre i suoi confini”. 💬

Nel suo intervento, il Prof. De Lorenzo, Presidente FAVO, ha ribadito che i pazienti non possono più essere considerati destinatari passivi delle cure, ma partner attivi nella ricerca 🔬, nell’organizzazione dei servizi sanitari 🏥 e nelle politiche oncologiche 🇪🇺.

Le associazioni dei pazienti svolgono un ruolo essenziale lungo tutto il percorso oncologico:
💪 nella prevenzione e negli screening
💖 nel supporto alla qualità della vita e alla survivorship
⚖️ nella riduzione delle disuguaglianze di accesso
🌍 nel miglioramento dei percorsi di cura
🔁 nel reinserimento sociale e lavorativo

Perché il coinvolgimento dei pazienti sia davvero efficace, deve diventare sistemico, entrando stabilmente nei processi decisionali, nella governance e nella definizione degli standard di qualità. ✊

In questo percorso, OECI può svolgere un ruolo strategico anche nella formazione e nel rafforzamento delle competenze delle organizzazioni dei pazienti 🧠.

Il messaggio emerso con forza dal Parlamento UE è chiaro:
💬 il coinvolgimento dei pazienti non è solo una questione di partecipazione, ma di qualità delle cure, equità e migliori risultati per tutti. 🌱


OECI Organisation of European Cancer Institutes

07/05/2026

Yesterday’s discussions at the European Parliament continued well into the evening 🇪🇺

After the session, the round table moved to the Fondation Universitaire, where participants gathered at the OECI offices to continue the conversation in a more informal setting.

06/05/2026

What changes when patient partnership becomes part of the system – and not just part of the conversation?

Today at the European Parliament 🇪🇺, policymakers, researchers, patient representatives and cancer centres came together for the session “From Cancer Care to Partnership: How OECI Advances Quality, Equity and Research in Europe and beyond its borders.”

From governance and accreditation to co-creation in research and the patient journey itself, the discussion kept coming back to one shared idea:
partnership has to become part of how cancer care is designed, discussed and improved.

Really appreciated the different perspectives shared throughout the afternoon by Giovanni Apolone, Claudio Lombardo, Roxana Plesoianu, Carina Dantas, Evy Lobbestael, Hadi Waelkens, Ramón Colomer, Guillemette Jacob, Eva Jolly, Hélène Weppe, Nuria Masana Navarro, Ivica Belina, Francesco De Lorenzo, Wolfgang Fecke, George Kapetanakis and Iwona Lugowska — as well as the support of Letizia Moratti in hosting this discussion at the European Parliament.

By the end of the session, one message kept coming back:
👉 meaningful partnership is not a side topic in cancer care anymore – it’s becoming part of how quality care and research are shaped across Europe.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Brussels today 👏

06/05/2026

A quick selfie before we begin 🇪🇺
See you soon at the OECI session at the European Parliament!

05/05/2026

Behind every Oncology Days edition, there is a network of people working together across countries, disciplines and institutions.

Today, OECI brings together 180 members in Europe and beyond, including 73 accredited institutions and 42 centres currently in the accreditation process — all connected by a shared commitment to improving the quality of cancer care.

Beyond the numbers, it’s about exchange, trust, and the willingness to learn from each other.

This is what shapes the OECI Oncology Days — a space where perspectives meet, ideas evolve, and collaborations begin.

👉 Discover more about the Oncology Days 2026:
https://www.oeci.eu/Assembly.aspx

28/04/2026

Earlier today in Warsaw 🇵🇱

As part of the CCI4EU-CSA, we spent the day with colleagues from across Europe and Ukraine, looking at a very practical question:
how can we turn the experience of CCI4EU into real, concrete actions for Ukraine?

The meeting was held both in person and online, which made it possible to have different voices in the room — and that really shaped the discussion.

We talked about what can actually work in practice:
• how to adapt tools like Deep Dives and Observerships
• how to strengthen research and collaboration
• how to better involve patients
• and how to move from ideas to next steps

One thing came through clearly:
👉 this has to be built together — with Ukrainian partners actively shaping what comes next.

Thank you to everyone who joined, shared their perspective, and made the conversation so open and constructive!

23/04/2026

Final call to join the OECI session at the European Parliament on May 6:
“From Cancer Care to Partnership: How OECI Advances Quality, Equity and Research in Europe and beyond its borders.”

This high-level discussion will bring together Members of the European Parliament, healthcare leaders and patient representatives to address how patient partnership can shape the future of cancer care and research in Europe.

👉 Explore the programme:
https://mcusercontent.com/0dc32aec470a0959d6795a30e/files/48fa95a4-af59-e988-2045-5522c6824947/OECI_Parliament_Session_From_Cancer_Care_to_Partnership_Leaflet.02.pdf

👉 Secure your place:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KS55RJY

22/04/2026

Earlier today at the European Parliament 🇪🇺

The Policy Forum brought together policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers and patient representatives to address a central question: how can Europe better tackle inequalities in cancer care through stronger infrastructures and networks?

A sincere thank you to all speakers for shaping a rich and forward-looking discussion:

• Giorgos Georgiou and Richard Price for opening the session
• Kay Duggan-Walls for setting the European policy context on cancer infrastructures
• Simon Oberst for presenting the CCI4EU policy brief on addressing inequalities
• Sona Ciernikova for sharing insights from capacity building in Slovakia
• Edel Shovlin, MBA for bringing the patient perspective into the discussion

As well as to Thomas Dubois, Anabela Isidro, Paolo Giovanni Casali and Kadi-Liis Veiman for contributing to the discussion on the sustainability of EU-wide cancer networks.

The event was held with the support of the European Parliament Intergroup on Cancer and Rare Diseases and facilitated by the European Cancer Organisation.

It also marked the launch of a new CCI4EU policy brief outlining a long-term vision for cancer care and research in Europe, developed in collaboration with EUnetCCC, JANE-2, ECHoS and UNCAN-Connect.

The exchange made one thing clear:
👉 addressing inequalities in cancer care requires not only structures, but sustained collaboration, capacity building and shared commitment across Europe.

Thank you to everyone who joined and contributed to the discussion!

21/04/2026

What does it take to guide a network through a period of growth and transformation?

🎥 In this video, Giovanni Apolone, President of OECI, reflects on a period of renewed energy and development within the Organisation – and the initiatives shaping its future.

From strengthening collaboration across the network to advancing key programmes, the conversation offers a perspective on where OECI stands today and where it is heading.

👉 Watch the video to learn more about OECI Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.
🌐 https://www.oeci.eu