DiCE February Newsletter 2023

We're back to our regular edition of the DiCE monthly newsletter!

January and February started the year with a roar - we welcomed new DiCE team members, embarked on new projects and collaborations, attended lots of meetings, and set big plans in motion for the rest of the year. Read onwards for an update on what we've been up to!

In Memory of George

While the year is already off to a busy start, we would like to take this moment to pause in remembrance of our dear friend George Vasiliu. George lent his voice and contributed his energy to several DiCE Gastric Cancer endeavours in 2022, all while fighting this ravaging disease. He was a remarkable young man with many plans to improve the world – he was taken far too early and will be greatly missed.

READ George's story or watch the 3-part VIDEO INTERVIEW.

From and For Members

Update from our Turkish Member Organisation

The devastating earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on 6 February have destroyed homes, hospitals, and roads. Thousands of people have died, and many more are badly injured. Dr Figen, from our Turkish Member Organisation Dance With Cancer, shares an update from Turkey.

DiCE Supports MOs for
ECCAM 2023

Through a grant, DiCE supports 12 Member Organisations (MOs) in their efforts for ECCAM 2023. Raising awareness of CRC focusing on prevention, MOs initiatives include concerts, press releases, podcasts, leaflets and much more. With the launch of StepApp®, we hope that the campaign will resonate across Europe.

Carer's Story - Mark

Carers play a crucial role in a cancer patient's journey. Their individual journey and experiences are uniquely human, humbling, and inspiring.
This month we shine a spotlight on Mark Moss, a loving husband and devoted carer to Barbara Moss, a CRC survivor.
Read his story.

Updates on Digestive Cancers

Colorectal Cancer

Don't miss the opportunity to be part of the conversation on #ColorectalCancerPrevention and participate in the launch of #ECCAM2023. On 23 February, we will hold an online event on the significance of preventative measures for Colorectal Cancer (CRC).

3rd DiCE CRC Screening Summit Report Now Available

Raising awareness for Colorectal Cancer means giving the spotlight to prevention and screening! As #ECCAM2023 approaches, we are delighted to share insights from the 3rd CRC Screening Summit. Download the report here.

ECCAM 2023 Campaign Website

We are thrilled to announce that our website for #ECCAM2023 is live! This March, let's work together to raise awareness and prevent CRC. Visit the website for key messages about the symptoms, risks, and screening of CRC. It will also showcase a live leaderboard of steps made across Europe.

Liver Cancer

World Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) Day

World CCA Day took place on 16 February. This year DiCE joined the Global CCA Alliance and AMMF to raise awareness about the disease. Recognising that CCA remains largely unknown and underdiagnosed, DiCE published a patient-oriented, 1-page infographic in partnership with AMMF. You can find the infographic here.

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer Landing Page

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new landing page dedicated to pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a complex disease often diagnosed in its later stages, making it challenging to treat. Our new page provides valuable information on pancreatic cancer, its symptoms, diagnosis, risk factors, possible preventative measures and treatments.

Gastric Cancer

Combination of Zolbetuximab Plus Chemo Extends Overall Survival for Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients – Promising Results of the SPOTLIGHT Trial

New data, presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncologists Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO GI), from the phase 3 SPOTLIGHT trial (NCT03504397), demonstrated a survival benefit, along with a tolerable safety profile for zolbetuximab combined with mFOLFOX6 compared to mFOLFOX6 plus placebo in patients.

The goal of the study is to find out if zolbetuximab with mFOLFOX6 helps this patient population to live longer by stopping the cancer from getting worse. Read more about the latest results.

DiCE Internal Education

DiCE launched an internal education series for the team to stay up to date on the latest science across the different digestive cancers we represent. Starting the series with a talk from Prof. Florian Lordick, Professor of Medicine at the University of Leipzig, who took us through the biology of oesophageal and gastric cancers, followed by an update on current treatments.

Rare Cancers

Anal Cancer Awareness Day

21 March is Anal Cancer Awareness Day. DiCE's mission is to rid the social stigma that limits open discussions about this disease. Anal cancer is often confused with rectal cancer, and while both diseases have some symptoms in common, they differ in aetiology and treatment.

Follow us on social media as we spotlight this rare cancer on the rise by highlighting symptoms and prevention.

Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day

22 March is Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day. Lynch Syndrome is also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).

This year DiCE is proud to launch a webpage dedicated to Lynch Syndrome on our website. Head over to learn about risk factors, prevention, signs, symptoms, and so much more.

All Digestive Cancers

DiCE Supports Act4Biosimilars to Increase Patient Access to Biologic Medicines

On 30 January, the Act4Biosimilars initiative hosted a virtual meeting. As a Steering Committee member, our CEO, Zorana Maravic, gave the opening remarks. She highlighted the importance of patient inclusion and the value of improved access to biologics through biosimilars adoption. Read more.

Interventions to Reduce Cancer Screening Inequities

In a joint effort to promote equitable access to screening services, DiCE co-authored a publication in the BMC, promising a multistep strategy to reduce cancer screening inequalities. Read more.

EU Funded Projects Updates

AIDA is an EU-funded project which is working to develop an AI diagnostic assistant for detecting lesions before gastric cancer. The project consortium involves 15 centres of excellence from 8 European countries, with a multidisciplinary team including some of the leading European authorities on gastric inflammation and cancer.

DiCE will run awareness campaigns and educational programs through a patient-user-friendly website that will provide holistic awareness of gastric cancer by implementing a strong social media presence and presentations in scientific meetings and publications.

Policy Updates

European Commission Gathered Evidence on Vaccine-preventable Cancers

Earlier this month, DiCE responded to the call for evidence by the EU Commission. DiCE highlighted that to mitigate the rising incidence of Liver Cancer across Europe, preventative and curative measures must be adhered to, as recommended in the Action Plan for the Health Sector Response to Viral Hepatitis in the WHO European Region. Read more.

How Is Your Country Doing? Launch of European Country Cancer Profiles

Together with nearly 200 participants, DiCE joined the online launch of Country Cancer Profiles on the European Cancer Inequalities Registry. The European Commission highlighted that it strives to address inequalities in treatment access.
Read more.

Organisational Updates

New DiCE Team Members

We are proud to announce the addition of four new team members! We warmly welcome Ana, Haidar, Lili and Luca whose knowledge and dedication will strengthen our efforts to prevent digestive cancers and improve the lives of patients and their caregivers. We look forward to seeing their expertise and creativity in practice and are excited to have them on board. Read more.

Dates for Your Diary

February 23 - Launch of ECCAM 2023
February 28 - Rare Disease Day
March - European Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (ECCAM)
March 21 - Anal Cancer Awareness Day
March 22 - Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day
April - Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Month
May 29 - World Digestive Health Day
June 28 - July 1 - DiCE Masterclass 2023