Nice Manifesto aims to strengthen breast cancer research
A manifesto to support breast cancer research and improve standards of patient care has been presented to doctors, nurses, patients and advocacy groups at the European breast cancer conference in Nice, France. The Nice manifesto represents a commitment by all stakeholders to improve the treatment of breast cancer, which remains the most common cancer affecting women in Europe. The document was endorsed by the three hosts of the conference: the European breast cancer coalition, the European organisation for research and treatment of cancer, and the European society of mastology. The co-chairs of the conference, Dr Alberto Costa and Dr Stella Kyriakides, said: 'Europe is now 500 million strong, more than half of these are women, and at least one in ten will experience breast cancer. The Nice manifesto is a promise to improve breast cancer care for all those patients in Europe. It is a basic right for patients to expect the best care and the conference pledges to meet the challenge.' Among the seven goals of the manifesto is a pledge to improve and support breast cancer research. 'Independent academic research is under threat due to insufficient funding in many European countries. [...] Studies which answer important clinical questions and which have the potential to increase our knowledge of the biological and genetic basis of the disease should be given priority,' it states. Another priority is to improve the number and quality of screening programmes in Europe. More and better screening programmes free at the point of access would save many lives, the experts believe, and women should be actively encouraged to participate in screening programmes. Researchers and clinicians are encouraged in the manifesto to be creative when designing diagnostic systems that improve prediction of the outcome of a disease. More knowledge on the genetic makeup of a tumour, for example, would help identify the history of the disease and the likelihood of response to standard therapies and targeted treatments. Finally, the document calls for more recognition of the essential role played by charities in supporting independent breast cancer research. 'Encourage those charities to realise the potential benefits of their effort for all European patients and to expand their work further,' it concludes.