ELF lung cancer PAG member at the European Parliament for launch of financial impact report

Having lung cancer can have a serious effect on people’s finances. That’s the message from a report produced by Lung Cancer Europe (LuCE), which found that most people with the disease experienced extra expenses as a result, with many having financial difficulties because of this.

On 24 November, LuCE took their report to the European Parliament in Brussels, and ELF Lung Cancer PAG member Filipe Paixão joined them. Filipe was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in October 2022. Filipe, who is married with a young daughter, said “The LuCE report shows the financial constraints that affect our lives after lung cancer diagnosis. It was interesting and frustrating to know that there are inequalities between countries in the EU. The benefits and the treatment opportunities should be similar. I really hope that some actions can be taken by Parliament.”

Filipe was also keen to emphasise the benefits of screening for lung cancer, both in terms of saving lives and reducing the cost of treatment. He is looking forward to seeing the progress made by the SOLACE project, which aims to address the inequalities of screening across Europe.

Read more about Filipe’s story. If you are interested in joining ELF’s lung cancer PAG, please email clare.williams@europeanlung.org.

If you are interested in getting more involved in becoming a patient ambassador, why not register for our European Patient Ambassador Programme?