Equality in Cancer Care – educational project 2025/2026
Background
The increasing awareness of health disparities has brought to light the urgent need to promote equity in cancer care.
Social determinants of health — including socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and access to healthcare resources — play a critical role in shaping outcomes for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
Advancing health equity in oncology requires identifying and addressing these systemic barriers, expanding access to high-quality care, and ensuring that every patient receives the treatment they need and deserve, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Format
This multi-step educational programme is designed to explore the challenges surrounding cancer health equity and to provide data, insights, and practical tools to support progress in this critical area.
The initiative includes the following:
- Three CME-accredited 1-hour webinars, free of charge and accessible upon mandatory registration
Available on the OncoCorner e-learning platform - A closed virtual task force, scheduled for 10 July 2025
- A final manuscript to summarise key findings and recommendations
Faculty
Chairs:
Joseph Gligorov, Hospital Tenon Ap-Hp and President of the Mediterranean Association for Radiotherapy Oncology and Medical Oncology (AROME), Paris, FR and Dorothy Keefe, Cancer Australia, Surry Hills NSW, AU
Experts:
May Abdel-Wahab, Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, AT
Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK and European Cancer Organisation, Brussels, BE
Susan Mary Henshall, World Health Organization, Geneva, CH
Abiola Ibraheem, University of Illinois and VP North America for the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), Chicago, US
Dan Milner, Chief Medical Officer of the American Society for Clinical Pathology and Executive Director of the UICC’s ATOM Coalition, US
Stewart O’Callaghan, OUTpatients, London, UK
Task Force Programme
- The ECO projects: results and targets in decreasing inequalities in Cancer Care in Europe – Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, BE
- Lessons learned from AROME that can help other initiatives – Joseph Gligorov, FR
- “The diverse reality in African countries: examples of successful programmes”: what does AORTIC suggest for future collaborations – Abiola Ibraheem, US
- WHO perspective on progress in addressing inequalities in cancer prevention, screening, and access to treatments – Susan Mary Henshall, CH
- Addressing the needs of the First Nations Peoples: in Australia and elsewhere – Dorothy Keefe, AU
- Besides UICC’s ATOM initiative: what programmes are there to support access to essential medicines in oncology – Dan Milner, US
- Transforming cancer care: how far have we come for LGBTIQ+ equality? – Stewart O’Callaghan, UK
- Overview of the IAEA’s “Rays of Hope” initiative: what are the issues and possible solutions to the lack of physicians, technicians, nurses, and maintenance personnel for radiation oncology equipment to be correctly used and maintained? – May Abdel-Wahab, AT
Acknowledgments
AstraZeneca and Gilead have provided sponsorship grants towards this independent activity.
Next Steps
Further information on the Task Force developments and the forthcoming paper will be made available on this page in due course.