Combined against cancer: "Go the extra mile"

(Vienna, 15-07-2015) During the leading European Cancer Congress in Vienna from 25 to 29 September, 20,000 cancer experts will discuss therapeutic strategies and the optimal collaboration between different specialities. Meanwhile, at the Cancer Research Run on 26 September 2015 in the Old Vienna AKH [General Hospital], runners and companies will collect important donations for cancer research under the motto “go the extra mile”.

The European Cancer Congress ECC2015 takes place in Vienna from 25 to 29 September 2015. Christoph Zielinski, Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of the Medical University of Vienna and AKH Vienna comments: “Vienna and Austrian oncology appreciate this renewed recognition by the group of leading European cancer specialists.” 20,000 congress participants will discuss and present new breakthroughs in the fight against cancer. On the other hand, the European cancer specialists are also worried about the increasing costs of new cancer therapies. In order to assess the commensurate value of new therapies, the European Society for Internal Oncology (ESMO) has developed a model to estimate the clinical value of cancer drugs. Zielinski collaborated with colleagues from Israel, England, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. In some countries, optimal cancer drugs cannot be administered for economic reasons; the aim of this model is to enhance awareness of this fact.

According to Sonja Wehsely, City Councillor for Health and Social issues: “The question of whom the health service supports and to what extent is an important indicator of the quality of life in a city. Vienna supports a strong public health service, in which every citizen receives the best medical care, whatever the income. The Department of Clinical Oncology is one of the leading centres in the research and treatment of cancer and patients benefit directly from this. But cancer patients should not only be confident of receiving the best treatment in Vienna. Europeans must make specific therapies available in all public health systems in the EU. For example, this could happen through combined purchasing or direct financial support from EU funds.”

Cancer research run: donations for successful research
According to Markus Müller, Vice-Rector for Research and designated rector of the Medical University of Vienna: “The treatments received by cancer patients in Vienna are among the best in the world. This is shown by international comparisons. Our experts have also repeatedly won important new insights in cancer research, which is one of the special areas of the Medical University of Vienna. The donations from the Cancer Research Run on 26 September in the Old AKH will help new and promising research projects to start running.” Last year more than 100,000 was collected by participants and companies with their own teams of runners or who acted as sponsors.

“Go the extra mile”: Change how we deal with cancer.
The Cancer Research Run is also intended to help us to change how we deal with cancer in society. The motto “Go the extra mile” was brought to Vienna by the European Cancer Congress and is intended to make this clear. Christoph Zielinski, Head of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of the Medical University of Vienna and Vienna General Hospital comments: “Patients do not only need medical treatment. Anxiety and uncertainty are very important in all phases – even once the patient has overcome cancer. This is why the Cancer research Run —organised by the Medical University of Vienna with the Sports Club ASKÖ-Vienna and the University of Vienna — is not an athletics or sporting event in the normal sense. The point is to run many laps, and to have a good time together and to be active.”

New tracks and on-line donation platform
Anyone can take part: Come to the Old AKH (Yard 2) on Saturday 26 September at 9:00 a.m.. Fetch a starting number and lap card for a 20 Euro donation and then off you go. The track is open from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.. You can start whenever you want and run as many laps as you want. You can refresh yourself at a refreshment stop, take a break or stop. There are also many company teams; their employer pays an additional 10 Euros for each completed lap or mile. This is now the ninth year of the run. A circuit has been added; this has been doubled from approx. 850m to one mile and now also passes through yard 1 and the former Garrison Hospital. A donor platform will also go online in August. You can use this to start your personal fund raising project for cancer research.

20,000 Cancer experts meet in Vienna from 25-29 September
The Congress of the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) is one of the most important and will bring 20,000 physicians from various specialities to Vienna in September. One important aim of the meeting is to improve multidisciplinary collaboration. Health political issues at the European level will also be discussed.

Service:
9 th Cancer Research Run
Sat., 26.09.2015, 10 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.
Altes AKH Wien
www.meduniwien.ac.at/krebsforschungslauf

ECC2015 Vienna - European Cancer Congress
Fr., 25.- Di., 29.09.2015
Messe Wien
www.ecco-org.eu/ecc2015