Cancer Won't Wait: Building resilience in cancer screening and diagnostics in Europe based on lessons from the pandemic (March 2020)

Summary

The ongoing impact of COVID-19 on health services across Europe has in most cases led to significant reductions in cancer screening, testing and diagnosis. The resultant delays in diagnosis are impacting cancer treatment and survival and are likely to do so for many years to come. Responses in individual countries and for individual tumour groups have differed, but there are common challenges in all countries. Some solutions go above and beyond the obvious actions that all countries are taking, and there are examples of how the system has reacted so far that provides the basis for further discussion on building lasting resiliency into healthcare systems and preparing for post-pandemic recovery.

This report, published by IQVIA, highlights some of the approaches already being taken, as well as suggestions for what should be done going forward. It considers different stakeholders – from local pharmacies to national and international organisations – and their roles, as well as multi-stakeholder collaboration and cooperation. It aims to highlight initiatives adopted in some countries that can be shared more widely.