Last Friday May 9th, the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD) hosted the first in-person meeting of the task leaders of the Survivorship Network of Expertise (NoE), part of the Joint Action on Network of Expertise (JANE2) initiative. This project is one of the pillars of the European Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) and was launched in November 2024 with the goal of creating networks of expertise in seven priority areas related to cancer validated by the European Commission, including Palliative Care, Poor Prognosis Cancers, Omics, Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs), and Survivorship.
The Survivorship Network of Expertise (NoE) is led by Dr. Andrés Morales, Clinical Director of the Pediatric Oncology Area and the Neuro-Oncology Unit at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona (HSJDB), and researcher at the Pediatric Cancer Treatment Research Group at the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD). The network is co-led by the Belgian institution Sciensano.
The meeting brought together 18 representatives from participating institutions from 5 European countries to advance the joint work. Morning sessions focused on specific discussions regarding the assigned tasks, while the afternoon sessions featured an open forum attended by more than 60 collaborators and key stakeholders. During the event, participants discussed on the main activities and challenges identified since the start of the project.
One of the key agreements reached was the proposal of a “working definition” for cancer survivor, which will serve as the basis for establishing and promoting an integrative care model for cancer survivors in Europe.
Additionally, as the network leader, Sant Joan de Déu reaffirmed its commitment to creating a “network of networks” in Survivorship, encouraging national networks to locally promote and disseminate the activities and materials generated by the project.
Overall, the event was hailed as a success, reinforcing the importance of cross-border expertise to advance knowledge on survivorship care and developing a common framework that contributes to improving the quality of life of cancer survivors across Europe.
