23-03-2023
Professor, consultant and chairman of the DCCC's Scientific Council Henrik Frederiksen is particularly looking forward to hearing the many concrete and solution-oriented presentations at the Conference on Inequality in Cancer on 1st of June in Middelfart.
Today, far more people survive cancer than just a decade ago. New treatment options and far greater knowledge have revolutionized many treatments.
But although survival has increased across the board, not everyone benefits equally. There is also inequality in cancer in Denmark - indeed, in all stages of the cancer process, both before, during and after the disease.
- We generally see the tendency that when there are new offers in the healthcare system, it is the strongest patients who can make the best use of them, says professor and Consultant at the Department of Hematology at Odense University Hospital, Henrik Frederiksen.
He is also chairman of the DCCC Scientific Counsil and in part of the event committee for the large, nationwide Conference on Inequality in Cancer, which will be held on 1st of June in Middelfart. And he therefore points out that the ever-growing options in cancer treatment have a downside, which affects the socio-economically weakest patients.
- The research has identified many mechanisms behind what drives inequality. We therefore need here-and-now solutions to reduce inequality in the area of cancer in the places where we already know that it occurs, so we do not maintain or even worsen it.
We must act - already now
The fact that the health care sector need to act now, makes the conference even more relevant, saysHenrik Frederiksen
- I think this day is special because we are looking at the initiatives that municipalities, hospitals and general practitioners experience have helped vulnerable cancer patients. It is important that knowledge is shared across sectors, because we must all work together to counteract inequality. Henrik Frederiksen goes on to say that he is proud that the programme contains both major, internationally recognized Danish researchers, while there is also room for concrete inspirational presentations.
- And I am also very much looking forward to hearing about some of the concrete solution proposals that are out there. Personally, I think joint decision-making has a lot of potential, so I'm looking forward to delving into that specifically at the conference.
The conference 'Inequality in Cancer: A day focusing on what we can improve for vulnerable cancer patients already now' takes place in Middelfart on 1st of June. It is organized by DCCC in collaboration with the Danish Research Center for Equality in Cancer (COMPAS). In addition to Henrik Frederiksen, Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton, research leader in COMPAS, and Maja Halgren Olsen, postdoc, from the Danish Cancer Society's Center for Cancer Research, also sit in the event committee. Registration for the conference is free and can be done via this link.