Presentations – Cancer and cancer care
Thomas Hofmarcher at the IHE has presented results on cancer and cancer care on several occasions during November, and on December 4, Thomas will participate at the seventh European Cancer Forum in Brussels.
the 7th European Cancer Forum (ECF)
Conference: the 7th European Cancer Forum (ECF)
Theme: Innovation, security and sustainability: Shaping the future of cancer care
Place: Residence Palace, Brussels
Date: 4 December, 2025
More information and registration: https://europeancancerforum.eu/
World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025
The World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025 by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in Melbourne brought together global voices in the fight against cancer. Thomas Hofmarcher showcased why investing in women’s cancers – breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine – should be a priority for all countries around world. Not only do they affect and kill millions of women every year, but they also come with a heavy economic burden for healthcare systems and economies. There is a strong investment case in women’s cancers, with every dollar spent on prevention, early detection, and treatment returning 3-8 times its value in societal and economic benefits.
Thomas was joined on the panel “Bridging global inequities in women’s cancer care – From policy to practice – NEW GLOBAL REPORT” by Vicki Durston from Breast Cancer Network Australia, who also contributed as an expert to the recent IHE report on women’s cancers, Antonella Cardone from Cancer Patients Europe, and Christobel Saunders from All.Can International.
Read more about the latest IHE report on women’s cancers: https://ihe.se/en/rapport/bridging-the-gap-in-womens-cancer-care-a-global-policy-report-on-disparities-innovations-and-solutions-2/
Conference: World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025
Place: Melbourne, Australia
Date: November 20, 2025
62nd Oncology Congress by the Serbian Medical Society Oncology Section
At the 62nd Oncology Congress in Belgrade – one of the oldest and most important oncology meetings in the region – Thomas Hofmarcher gave the first keynote speech about “Investing in Innovation: The Health-Economic Value of Novel Cancer Therapies”. He presented evidence from the IHE Cancer Comparator Report in Europe 2025 and emphasized that investments in cancer care are paying off as evidenced by the increasing survival rates.
Thomas also gave a second presentation in the symposium “Integrated Approaches to Improving Cancer Care Outcomes in Serbia: Prevention, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment as a Path to Systemic Solutions” moderated by Marijana Milovic-Kovacevic and panelists Bojan Zaric, Ana Cvetanovic, Zoran Andric. He presented a preliminary version of an upcoming Cancer Dashboard for Serbia, which provides a comprehensive assessment of the current status of cancer care and offers recommendations for improvement.
Conference: 62nd Oncology Congress by the Serbian Medical Society Oncology Section
Title 1st presentation: Investing in Innovation: The Health-Economic Value of Novel Cancer Therapies
Title 2nd presentation: Cancer Dashboard for Serbia
Place: Belgrad, Serbien
Date: 12-15 november 2025
Skal danske patienter have adgang til nye, innovative behandlinger?
Denmark is lagging behind when it comes to patients’ access to new treatments, even though they improve lives and relatively little money is spent on medicines. Against this background four patient organizations – Brystkræftforeningen, Dansk Myelomatose Forening, KIU – Kræft i Underlivet, and LYLE – Patientforeningen for Lymfekræft, Leukæmi og MDS – organized an event at the Christiansborg Palace to discuss whether Danish patients should have access to new, innovative treatments.
Thomas Hofmarcher was invited to give a presentation about whether innovative treatments contribute to more years of life for patients. Based on IHE’s rich experience in oncology, his key takeaways were:
• Cancer burden is rising, but survival has improved significantly – including Denmark now ranking among Europe’s top performers.
• Progress is uneven across cancer types: multiple myeloma is a remarkable success story, while uterine cancer has seen almost no improvement for decades.
• Innovations are needed to address the growing burden of cancer.
• New therapies are partly driving the improvements in survival rates.
• Although countries are spending more on cancer medicines, this has not led to a “cost explosion” in cancer care overall, with spending remaining stable at around 6–7% of total healthcare expenditure.
• Ensuring fast, value-based access to new therapies is crucial if we want to continue the positive trajectory for cancer patients in Denmark and across Europe.
Conference: Skal danske patienter have adgang til nye, innovative behandlinger?
Title: Do innovative treatments contribute to more years of life for patients?
Place: Copenhagen, Denmark
Date: 6 November 2025
For more information, please contact Thomas Hofmarcher
