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Special Edition - Tobacco Dependence & Cancer
19 October 2020
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ENSP-ECPC Webinar on
Tobacco Treatment Delivery in cancer patients
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Today, as a part of the ENSP-ECTC Conference - The Online Edition, together with the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC), ENSP hosted the webinar "Tobacco Treatment Delivery in cancer patients in Europe".
The session addressed the importance of smoking cessation during and after cancer treatment, recommendations for medical professionals and cancer patients, and explored available data on tobacco use and cessation during the COVID-19 epidemic. Research-focused presentations were balanced by public health prospective on the issue and further complemented by a patient’s testimony on the emotional, psychological and social challenges patients face when attempting to stop smoking.
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The webinar has been moderated by Antonella Cardone, Director of ECPC and Cornel Radu Loghin, Secretary General of ENSP. Conference agenda included the interventions of Dr Oxana Domenti (WHO), MEP Cristian Bușoi, Dr Giuseppe Gorini (ISPRO, Italy), Dr Charis Girvalaki (ECPC), Dr Krzysztof Przewozniak (MCMCC, Poland), and Jacqueline Daly (ECPC). |
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Opening remarks by WHO Representative to the EU,
Dr Oxana Domenti
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"Tobacco cessation should be an integral part of cancer care in order to maximize the benefits of patient’s cancer treatment. All these patients who use tobacco have to be identified and offered smoking cessation support. Brief tobacco interventions must be incorporated into all health care systems, including oncology clinics. Reducing tobacco use prevalence among cancer patients would reduce an avoidable burden of morbidity and premature mortality in patients with cancer."
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Dr Oxana Domenti, WHO Representative to the European Union, emphasised the need of continuous efforts on the improvement of cancer treatment in Europe, in order to have a sustainable increase in the cancer survival rates. According to her, one factor that influences positively the cancer treatment outcomes and quality of life is clearly tobacco use in patients diagnosed with cancer.
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"Sustainable funding should be identified and allocated: to dedicated tobacco cessation services, to tobacco treatment training programs for health care providers and for research in this area. Along with this, the evidence-based tobacco control measures envisaged in the WHO FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) have to be implemented in all countries, these include smoke-free legislation, mass-media anti-tobacco campaigns, labelling of tobacco products and increase in taxes of these products." |
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Video message from MEP Cristian-Silviu Bușoi
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MEP Cristian Bușoi, Chair of the European Parliament Challenge Cancer Intergroup opened the discussion with an insightful video tackling the Tobacco Treatment Delivery in Europe, with a special focus to cancer patients. He addressed the damage brought by tobacco consumption not only for the society, and therefore the need to increase taxation, but also for human lives and the need to constantly raise awareness on this matter.
MEP Bușoi also highlighted the importance of the FCTC implementation, as a bridge between the society of today and the healthier society of tomorrow.
Watch the video message... |
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ENSP Secretariat would like to thank all contributors to the successful webinar: both speakers and attendees! |
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