ADVOCACY PROJECT
Bringing patient voices into the conversations that shape cancer care.
Radioligand therapy is changing how certain cancers can be treated, yet access across Europe remains uneven. Reimbursement rules differ from one country to the next, awareness among referring doctors varies, and nuclear medicine infrastructure is unequally distributed. For people living with cancer, these gaps can mean travelling far from home, waiting too long, or never hearing about radioligand therapy at all.
At the Oncidium foundation, we bring these realities into the conversations that matter, engaging with European institutions and national authorities to share patient experiences and work with partners on solutions.
At the European Parliament
On 9 April 2025, our CEO, Rebecca Lo Bue joined the panel "European and National RLT Policy & Reality" at the European Parliament, co-hosted by MEPs Tomislav Sokol and Nicholas Papandreou. We thank SPARC Europe for the invitation.
Drawing on the journey of one person living with cancer, Rebecca illustrated how a healthcare system can fall short at several points, and what this means for the individual and their family. She called for three priorities: harmonised referral pathways across Europe, cross-border collaboration between healthcare systems, and targeted investment in nuclear medicine.
The Oncidium foundation supports access to treatment for people in need, and we believe healthcare systems can evolve to better serve them. Acting earlier, with the most appropriate treatment, improves quality of life and makes better use of healthcare resources.
Continuing the conversation in France
On June 8, the Oncidium foundation took part in a colloquium at the French Senate dedicated to radioligand therapy (RLT), bringing patient voices into the heart of policy conversations on this innovative treatment.
Through the testimonies of patient advocates Tiphaine (APTED) and François (ANAMACaP), the session captured what living with cancer truly means: the universal shock of diagnosis, the way patients often become experts in their own disease, and the real hope that RLT represents as a more targeted, less invasive treatment option.
Their exchange also named the challenges that remain: unequal access, too few specialised centres, longer waits in France than in neighbouring European countries, and reimbursement that still lags behind for some patients, including those with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. Because when it comes to cancer, every month counts.
They closed on a note of hope, because France holds real strengths: world-class research, innovative biotechs, dedicated medical teams, and a healthcare system built on solidarity. The shared wish was simple: that every patient can reach the right treatment, at the right moment.
Moderated by our Ambassador Alexia Daoust, who also introduced the Oncidium foundation and its mission to advance equitable access to RLT across Europe, this closed-door exchange helped ensure that the realities of people living with cancer stay visible to the decision-makers shaping the future of cancer care.
A continued commitment
Alongside our ambassadors and partners, the Oncidium foundation will keep showing up in these spaces because breakthrough therapies only matter when they reach the people who need them.