EUROPA DONNA - The European Breast Cancer Coalition

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EUROPA DONNA - The European Breast Cancer Coalition

EUROPA DONNA - The European Breast Cancer Coalition, is an independent, non-profit organisation whos

22/12/2025

🎄✨ Holiday Notice ✨🎄

Please note that the Europa Donna office will be closed from December 22 through January 6.
You can still reach us by e-mail at info@europadonna.org.

We wish you a safe, joyful, and relaxing holiday season! 💛

18/12/2025

“After my diagnosis, I understood the real meaning of time — which is the best gift I can give to the people I love.”

✨ Every year, Europa Donna conducts interviews with people diagnosed with early and metastatic breast cancer. This year, we had the honour of speaking with Monica Schina, an early breast cancer patient and advocate.

In this interview, Monica reflects on how a diagnosis reshaped her relationship with time, priorities, and relationships, and on the importance of turning personal experience into awareness and support for others.

➡️ Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/liViRgKftEA

15/12/2025

❄️🎄🎁 Our November & December ED-News is out!

As the year comes to a close, Europa Donna celebrates important progress in breast cancer advocacy, research, and policy across Europe. From key developments at the ABC8 Conference to advances in European breast cancer guidelines, strengthened advocacy networks, and the launch of our new EmpowerED learning platform, recent months have been full of meaningful achievements.

In this edition, we share the highlights that are helping shape more equitable, high-quality breast cancer care across the continent. Together, we continue moving toward a future where every person affected by breast cancer receives the support and care they deserve.

➡️ 🔗Visit this link to read our November & December ED-News: https://bit.ly/4ahXhwO
💌 🔗 Visit this link to subscribe to our ED-News: https://bit.ly/4jel5mm

15/12/2025

🎙️ Roundtable on “European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer: ECIBC Quality Assurance Scheme”

At our latest Europa Donna roundtable, we had the pleasure of welcoming the European Commission Joint Research Centre’s Agnes Mannik, Aliki Stathopoulou, and Shawn Baldacchino for an overview of the European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer (ECIBC) and its newly launched Manual for the Quality Assurance (QA) of Breast Cancer Services.

Our speakers outlined the two pillars of the ECIBC:
🔹 Evidence-based European breast cancer guidelines — including 80 recommendations, plain-language summaries for women and ongoing updates, such as new work on AI in screening.
🔹 A comprehensive QA Scheme — published in February 2025, offering a voluntary, modular, step-wise certification pathway to improve the quality and consistency of screening and care across Europe. The Manual was endorsed by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) in September 2024 for application in accredited certification.

The QA scheme, already tested in nine countries, provides 64 quality requirements, self-assessment tools, and a clear process to involve national accreditation bodies. Interest is rapidly growing, with screening programmes, breast centres, policymakers, and certification bodies from countries such as Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, and Slovenia already engaging with ECIBC on implementation.

⚠️ Important note: this tool is NOT only for countries in the European Union! It is flexibly designed to be tailored to work in different social and health systems.

Our speakers encouraged advocates to help amplify the impact of the European Commission Quality Assurance Scheme:
✨ Raise awareness and share patient-friendly materials
✨ Engage national authorities and breast units
✨ Promote the value of certified centres

Patient voices remain essential for achieving safe, transparent, and person-centred breast cancer care and for driving demand for high-quality services across Europe.

10/12/2025

Both at the Europa Donna event held at the European Parliament in Brussels this past October and at our 17th Pan-European Conference in Cyprus in November, a powerful message resonated, uniting the voices of over 200 advocates, scientists and heads of medical societies, top international leaders, representatives from international cancer communities, health economists and cancer policy experts, the Health Department at OECD, members of the EU Parliament, leading MEPs in the SANT Committee, and two former Health Commissioners of the European Union ✨

Declaring the 15th of October as European Breast Health Day is more than symbolic — it is a commitment to equity, education, and action 💖

Hundreds have already signed in support of this motion. Each signature strengthens our shared commitment to making prevention, awareness, and equitable access to screening a priority across all Member States ✅

As President Roberta Metsola stated on 15th October 2025:
"No one should be left behind simply because of where that woman was born, or what she can afford. That's not the Europe that we work for or the Europe that we believe in. We need to take this message further, outside this room."

Collective action reflects the strength of our community: driving meaningful change for women’s health, united across borders, disciplines, and lived experiences 🌍
Join us — add your voice and sign it too! ✍️

23/11/2025

💫 Our second and final day of the 17th Pan-European Conference began with a peaceful yoga session — a moment to breathe, connect, and set a positive tone for the day ahead here in Paphos. 🇨🇾💜

The morning opened with the presentation of Europa Donna’s Asks that the European Parliament officially establish 15 October as European Breast Health Day, presented by MEP Romana Jerković and Marzia Zambon.
💬 “Declaring the 15 of October European Breast Health Day will send a strong message: women’s lives matter — and we need your support to make it happen.” — MEP Romana Jerković

MEP Jerković outlined the next steps to carry the motion forward and encouraged all Fora to connect with their national MEPs to help ensure broad support for this milestone.

The programme continued with a powerful session on mental health and emotional resilience led by Stephanie Christodoulidou, followed by inspiring national project presentations from OZ Amazonky, Europa Donna Sweden, and Europa Donna Schweiz - Simply the Breast

We closed the day with our General Assembly and elections, ending a conference filled with collaboration, purpose, and shared commitment.

Leaving Paphos, we feel united and inspired to keep building a Europe where everyone affected by breast cancer receives the care, support, and equity they deserve. 💗🌍

22/11/2025

Day 1 of our 17th Pan-European Conference in beautiful Paphos, Cyprus! 🇨🇾✨

Under the theme “Building bonds, shaping networks for tomorrow”, more than 200 advocates, along with clinicians, experts, and health professionals, joined us to work toward one goal: improving breast cancer care for all.

We were honored that the Minister of Health of Cyprus, Michael Damianos, delivered the opening speech and welcomed everyone.

Former European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides then took the stage, reminding us that breast cancer care is a political responsibility — and that inequalities in screening, treatment, and access to innovation are political choices that need to be made and maintained.
💬 “Health is not a privilege, it is a human right.” — Stella Kyriakides

Prof. Christopher McCabe then spoke about how cost-effectiveness needs to be balanced with quality and equal access, reminding us that “we’re not just moving money — we’re moving health.”

A dynamic panel with Sandra Gallina, Director General for Health and Food Safety, Prof. Matti Aapro, Board member of UICC - Union for International Cancer Control, Stella Kyriakides, and Chris McCabe highlighted the critical current situation of health policy in Europe and the need to keep fighting top-down and bottom-up to make sure it remains high on the political agenda. Sandra Gallina closed with a positive note that investments in prevention strengthen Europe’s workforce and save up to 30 billion euros every year.

In the afternoon, Isabel Mestres presented how the City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) project that she heads strengthens cancer care systems from the ground up at a city level and provided methodological examples including Tbilisi, where she collaborated with EUROPA DONNA GEORGIA. We once again welcomed on stage Sandra Gallina and Prof. Matti Aapro, who discussed with Isabel Mestres and Fiorita Poulakaki, VP of the ED Coalition, addressing inequalities and how to support underserved communities — from language barriers to navigating unfamiliar health systems.

We closed the day with an interactive workshop with Kathy Redmond on crafting advocacy priorities across regions — a reminder that our strength lies in Unity and Cooperation.

🌍 Here’s to a great gathering of over 200 advocates learning from one another, sharing, and shaping the future of breast cancer advocacy — together.
EUROPA DONNA CYPRUS

11/11/2025

🎙️ Roundtable on “Biomarkers, a Game Changer for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment” with Prof. Carlos Caldas, MD FMedSci

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting an inspiring roundtable with Prof. Carlos Caldas, one of the leading voices in breast cancer research, to discuss how biomarkers are transforming both diagnosis and treatment.

Prof. Caldas highlighted the latest advances in Precision Medicine 2.0, showing how a deeper understanding of tumour ecosystems can guide more effective and personalised therapies. From addressing overtreatment to tackling therapy resistance and relapse, his insights underlined the crucial role biomarkers play in improving patient outcomes.

We thank Prof. Caldas for sharing his expertise and for his continued commitment to advancing breast cancer care.

🔬 Together, we move towards a future where every woman receives truly personalised treatment.

04/11/2025

🩷🌷🌸 Our October ED-News is out!

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, we reflect on a truly inspiring October filled with advocacy, collaboration, and progress. From celebrating Breast Health Day at the European Parliament to representing patient voices at major international events like ESMO 2025 and the European Commission’s HTA Stakeholder Network Meeting, Europa Donna continues to drive change for women across Europe. Thank you to all our members and supporters for your ongoing commitment to our mission — together, we are shaping a future of equitable, patient-centred breast cancer care.

➡️ 🔗 Visit this link to read our October ED-News: https://bit.ly/4oMS9ob
💌 🔗 Visit this link to subscribe to our ED-News: https://bit.ly/4jel5mm

03/11/2025

💗 Fertility and breast cancer: supporting the journey

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people in the EU and millions worldwide are diagnosed with cancer. Many face unique challenges related to fertility, sexuality, and intimacy while rebuilding their lives after treatment.

During , Tanja Spanic Španić, CEO of Europa Donna Slovenija, reminded us that fertility is an essential part of survivorship and quality of life and that still way too many premenopausal women facing breast cancer do not receive proper onco-fertility counseling.

🔺 One key finding from : only half of young women with cancer in Europe report having discussed fertility preservation with a healthcare provider. This gap affects not only future fertility, but also quality of life and prognosis. Oncofertility is not optional and should be part of comprehensive cancer care!

At Europa Donna, we advocate for equal access to fertility preservation and safe pregnancy after breast cancer.

This , we stand with all women in Europe and beyond facing these decisions, because life after breast cancer should include the right to choose motherhood 💕

👉 For more info, check out our White Paper on Cancer and Family Planning: https://bit.ly/4oQ6BvR

29/10/2025

📢 Don’t forget to register for !
📍 Barcelona | 25–27 March 2026

We’re proud that Europa Donna is an equal partner and co-organizer of this impactful international medical conference! 🌟

Join us in shaping the future of multidisciplinary breast cancer care.
🔗 Register here: https://event.eortc.org/ebcc15/individual-registration/

21/10/2025

Hear hear to 10 more years of Cooperation, networking and supporting one another! 👏👏👏 together we are stronger!

Indirizzo

Milan

Sito Web

http://www.europadonna.org/

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