In just over a week I shall be joining EuropaColon’s dedicated team in Barcelona for the 2nd Colorectal Cancer Patient Conference  which is attracting cancer patients and clinicians throughout Europe who will share valuable experiences.

Tragically, colorectal cancer (also known as bowel cancer) is the second most common malignancy in Europe. More than 413,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year, resulting in more than 212,000 deaths. Yet colorectal cancer is preventable in many cases and highly treatable if diagnosed early. That’s why the theme of the debate is, ‘Your life – your responsibility’.

One of its highlights is a debate is entitled, ‘The Controversies of Personalised Medicine’. Personalised medicine uses an individual’s genetic profile to guide decisions made in regard to treatment of disease. Knowledge of a patient’s genetic profile can help doctors select the proper medication or therapy, but what do we really think about it?

Key speakers at the debate include:

• The physician – Dr Rob Glynn-Jones, a highly respected oncologist in the UK.
•  The pharmaceutical industry – Brendan Barnes, from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry.
• The patient – Barbara Moss, who initially paid for her own cancer treating therapies, attracting national newspaper headlines.

The aim of the debate is to encourage active discussion on this highly controversial subject.  Personalised treatment promises a solution to cancer care, but the question is, will we get there and if so, when? Is it hype or is it hope?

The debate will be chaired by John Bowis, a former UK Health Minister and MEP with extensive knowledge on this topic. He holds many influential positions on healthcare organisations throughout Europe, including president of Health First Europe, Vice-President of the European Health Forum and co-chair of the European Alliance for Personalised Medicine. He is also an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians.

You can follow the conference – the only one of its kind for colorectal cancer patients in Europe – via live screening – full details can be found here.

This is a summary of Barbara’s devastating experiences as a patient and her road to recovery. She is truly inspirational, and I look forward to meeting her at the conference:

“Nobody expects to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and I was totally shocked when I had been busily working and the next day, was told that I had 3 to 5 months to live.

“I was 52 when I was diagnosed with Stage IV CRC, though I had presented with symptoms 6 years earlier. After receiving all NHS treatment available, I requested Avastin, having researched the medicine and its use in America and Europe; it cost me £21,000 in total. The drug alone that saved me was only an additional £4000. I had to pay so much because my NHS entitlement was taken away with the addition of a private medicine. Today, through campaigning, Avastin is available through the Cancer Drugs Fund in most areas and your NHS entitlement does not get taken away when you choose a private medicine to be added to your regime.

“Regarding me! I have not needed to take any medication for over 4 years. At my last appointment, I asked my oncologist whether I could be considered as cured at 5 years of being cancer free. I was pleased to hear that I would remain under continual care with regular scans and appointments. How blessed am I to have so much! 5 years cancer free is only a statistic, not an all clear. It is still an achievement. My aim is for this disease to be termed as a ‘serious illness’ and not a death sentence.”