Belgium’s Crown Princess Mathilde spoke at the inauguration of the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer in Brussels yesterday. She was invited by the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barrosso. 
The Crown Princess began her speech by saying although cancer is still difficult to fight, it very often could still be beaten. In addition, Mathilde pointed out how people are more aware of cancer these days.
“People nowadays are far more aware of the importance of following a healthy lifestyle than they were twenty years ago,” she said. “Furthermore, long-term sustainable action on cancer in different fields – prevention – screening – research and medicine…. continues to develop.
“During my many conversations with breast cancer patients, I learned that regular screening and early detection had saved many lives and given hope for the future. Breast cancer is a disease that can be cured today – as is cervical cancer if detected early – and thanks to the new vaccine which is now available. But for me, raising awareness is often the best vaccine.”
Mathilde also stressed the need for psychological support for those suffering from cancer. “In my contact with patients, I often notice that despite the attention they are given by the medical experts or family and friends, they quite often feel alone in their fight against cancer,” she said.
“The psychological consequences should therefore not be ignored: emotional distress even depression – tiredness – anxiety – fear – all of which can influence the healing process – and which sometimes go unnoticed. For this reason I am in favour of strengthening and generalising initiatives aimed at training nurses and personnel specialised in oncology –for adults as well as for children- to assist patients and their families by giving the appropriate psychological support. Furthermore, those initiatives should also support professionals who often face very difficult situations.”
She also discussed her visits to children dealing with cancer, and how they inspired her. “They gave me a lesson on how to be brave: never to give up hope despite the burden of illness which is weighing heavily on their young shoulders.”
The Crown Princess also proudly talked about how her country has a developed a two-year national cancer plan with 32 actions to fight cancer.
Currently, 3.2 million Europeans are diagnosed with cancer every year. It is the second cause of the death on the continent after circulatory disease. The European Partnership for Action Against Cancer hopes to cut cancer rates by 15 percent by the year 2020.
