Mid July, one of the Action Kidney Cancer team, Steve Pointon attended the WECAN patient advocacy masterclass training event over 3 days in Barcelona.

The Workgroup of European Cancer Patient Advocacy Networks (WECAN) is a network of leaders from over 20 cancer patient umbrella organisations active in Europe. Their mission is to act as a well-coordinated cancer patient community towards all stakeholders by building levels of trust, collaboration, alignment and mutual support in the pan-European cancer patient community.

The event was an amazing experience filled with highly informative patient advocacy training and engaging conversations with patient advocates from around the world, including Dr Rachel Giles (The Netherlands) from VHL Europa, and Deb Maskens (Canada) from the International Kidney Cancer Coalition (IKCC).

There were presentations on ensuring patient centricity in clinical trials, and reading and interpreting scientific data to better equip patient advocates with the skills to further understand and use scientific research. There was a thought-provoking look into the dark side of artificial intelligence (AI) and the implications of the EU AI Act, and regulatory issues were explored, providing crucial insights into navigating these complex areas.

Steve Pointon from Action Kidney Cancer examined the subject of long-term impacts of survivorship, discussing the financial, mental, and social effects on patients. There followed a session addressing inequalities, focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare.

The event concluded with an overview of the EU projects landscape, which offered a thorough look at the opportunities and challenges present in the region.