Breast Cancer

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear colleagues,

With great pleasure, I welcome you to today’s special session of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament. I would especially like to welcome and warmly thank Commissioner Byrne, the distinguished experts and scientists, as well as our guests from across the EU. I would particularly like to welcome a group of 20 scientists, specialized in the fight against breast cancer, from Greece, as well as journalists who cover health issues.

The public hearing we have organized today is very important, as it concerns a hot topic that cannot leave anyone indifferent.

I feel particular satisfaction, as Chair of the Committee, in opening the proceedings of this event, because it is our great desire to contribute to raising awareness and informing the public, and to shed light on all the aspects and issues related to breast cancer.

Unfortunately, this disease, which affects women with great frequency, has not garnered the attention it deserves, resulting in far fewer resources being allocated for research compared to other forms of cancer.

My Committee regrets to note that, in general, health research, which is mainly led by men, does not pay much attention to diseases that particularly affect women, such as osteoporosis, the consequences of menopause, etc., and in this case, breast cancer.

Our Committee demands more research into the causes, early-stage diagnosis, preventive measures, and treatment after the onset of the disease. Of course, we recognize the efforts and positive steps taken by the European Commission in the right direction and eagerly look forward to the Commissioner’s speech.

I must acknowledge that the organization of this public hearing, which is a continuation of a previous event, was inspired by our Committee member, Ms. Karin Jons, who has been very active in spreading awareness about breast cancer. Ms. Jons organized an exhibition in the European Parliament last June titled “Breast Cancer in the EU Today,” with the participation and speeches of Ms. Mary Buchanan, President of Europa Donna, and Commissioner Ms. Anna Diamantopoulou.

The exhibition presented for the first time the programs funded under the Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, as well as the program “Europe Against Cancer.” It also highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and the standards of treatment.

Access to diagnostic and treatment facilities is still not easy or possible for all women in the EU. There are significant differences between Member States. European guidelines for mammography are not implemented in all Member States. This is why we need to strengthen our cooperation in the fight against breast cancer, because 1 in 10 women is affected by this disease and more than 200,000 women per year in the EU are diagnosed with breast cancer. This means that every 2.5 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and every 6.5 minutes a woman dies from this disease, which is the leading cause of death for women aged 35-55.

I will not go into details, as we have eight renowned experts to shed light on the topic from all its aspects. The views of the patients will also be heard. For this reason, I am confident that today’s discussion will be of particular interest to all of us.

Before giving the floor to Ms. Jons to provide a general introduction to the topic, I would like to thank her once again for her contribution to raising awareness in the European Parliament on this pressing issue and for organizing today’s public hearing.

I hope that by the end of this event, we will all be better informed and more aware of how to address this terrible disease, which costs so much in human pain and human lives.