Innovation and Equitable Health - What Does Future Cancer Care Demand from Sweden and Europe?

Meeting the growing cancer burden requires a comprehensive transformation of cancer care - from reactive to proactive, from isolated solutions to integrated systems. The implementation of the EU Cancer Mission, the new national cancer strategy, and the life science strategy requires Sweden not only to strengthen healthcare and research but also to take the lead in shaping future cancer care. This involves collaboration across sectors, national borders, and disciplines - and securing Sweden's competitiveness in medical innovation.

The EU Cancer Mission aims to improve prevention, early detection, treatment, and quality of life for cancer patients across the union. Success requires coordinated efforts where each member state establishes a national Cancer Mission Hub.

Block 1 - Sweden's Role in Europe's Cancer Transformation
We begin the seminar by exploring how Sweden is building its Cancer Mission Hub through the ECHoS project. The discussion focuses on how the hub can help reduce preventable cancer cases, increase screening participation, ensure equitable care, enable more clinical trials, strengthen citizen and patient influence, and achieve international impact. How can Sweden act as a hub in Europe's cancer transformation - and what organizational, political, and financial requirements are needed to make this possible?

Block 2 - Future Outlook: Prevention, Early Detection, and the Role of Technology
In the second block, we look ahead to cancer care in 2040. We explore how AI, digital twins, liquid biopsies, and wearable sensors can enable personal prevention and early diagnostics, while also examining the new demands this places on equitable access, ethics, and infrastructure.

Finally, we discuss how Sweden can secure its position as an innovation leader in life science while building robust, equitable, and sustainably viable healthcare systems.

During both blocks, the audience will be invited to interact, with opportunities to contribute perspectives, questions, and priorities for future cancer care

Participants:

• Ebba Hallersjö Hult, Operations Manager, Vision Zero Cancer-Testbed Sweden

• Mef Nilbert, Professor, Senior Consultant, Lund University

• Eva Jolly, Unit Manager, Karolinska CCC

• Martin Takac, Healthcare Director, Region Jönköping County

• Anna Lefevre Skjöldebrand, CEO, Swedish Medtech

• Johan Hartman, Professor, Senior Consultant, Entrepreneur, Karolinska Institute, Stratipath