The policy dialogue entitled, “Addressing the Burden of Lung Cancer through National Planning” is being jointly organised together with ECHoS EU project, with the support of the Εuropean Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
This event marks the formal recognition of ELLOK as the Greek National Cancer Mission Hub and brings together policymakers, oncology professionals, researchers, international organisations, patient and citizen representatives to explore the transformative potential of setting a national policy for addressing the growing burden of lung cancer and improving patient outcomes in Greece and across the EU.
This policy dialogue has as its principal objectives to foster discussion on:
The full lung cancer screening process: what is the evidence and implementation experience;
Bringing primary and specialist care together for shaping the lung cancer pathway: what challenges and opportunities in implementation do the various stakeholders see;
What conclusions can be drawn and what might the next steps be?
- Date: Wednesday, 2 July 2025
- Time: 13:00 – 18:00 (lunch provided)
- Location: Wyndham Grand Hotel
- Address: 2 Megalou Alexandrou Street, Athens, 104 37 Greece
The dialogue is part of a Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) initiative under the European Commission’s Mission on Cancer and will involve representatives of National Cancer Mission Hubs and the ECHoS (Establishing of Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies) project.
POLICY DIALOGUE
Addressing the Burden of Lung Cancer Through National Planning
Wednesday, 2 July 2025
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Reception and Light Lunch |
| 14:00 – 14:05 | Welcome and Introduction |
| George Kapetanakis – President of ELLOK | |
| 14:05 – 14:20 | Addresses |
| Eirini Agapidaki – Alternate Greek Minister of Health | |
| Venetia Lilian Vildiridi – Secretery General, Greek Ministry of Health | |
| João Breda – WHO Athens | |
| 14:20 – 14:50 |
Introductory Session: Framing the Dialogue |
| Florian Tille – Technical Officer, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies | |
| Hugo Soares – ECHoS & AICIB – Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Information | |
| The Policy Dialogue Concept – Florian Tille – Technical Officer, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies | |
| Tour-de-table (10 min, led by European Observatory) | |
| Keynote Speaker: Defining the Lung Cancer Landscape in Greece Georgia Hardavella |
|
| 14:50 – 16:00 |
A Comprehensive Overview of the Lung Cancer Screening Process: What is the evidence and implementation experience? |
| Facilitator: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies | |
| Speakers: Mahdi Sheikh – Scientist / International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization (IARC – WHO) Maria Lasierra Losada – Technical Officer at WHO Europe |
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| Facilitated discussion with all participants | |
| 16:00 – 16.15 | Coffee Break |
| 16:15 – 17:30 |
Bringing Primary and Specialist Care Together to Shape the Lung Cancer Pathway: What challenges and opportunities in implementation do the various stakeholders see? |
| Facilitator: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies | |
| Speaker: Richard Lee – Consultant Respiratory Physician and Champion for Early Cancer Diagnosis at the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London |
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| Facilitated discussion with all participants | |
| 17:30 – 18:00 |
Wrap Up and Conclusions |
| For the Greek National Cancer Mission Hub: George Kapetanakis – ELLOK | |
| Joao Breda – WHO Athens | |
| Hugo Soares – ECHoS | |
Eirini Agapidaki
Alternate Minister of Health
Eirini Agapidaki is a Psychologist, with an MSc in Health Promotion and Education from the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; and a PhD in Health Psychology from the same university. She has also specialized in matters of prevention of mental disorders and promotion of mental health. In addition, she has many years of teaching and research experience in the fields of public health policy, public health research methodology and mental health promotion – in the context of national, European and international research programs. She has worked for many years as a research associate at the Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. In recent years she was elected and served as a Lecturer in Public Health, at the Medical School of the European University of Cyprus. In 2019, she resigned from her academic role in order to take up her duties as the Special Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors (at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum). At the end of December 2022, she assumed the duties of Secretary General of Public Health, and since July 2023 she serves as the Alternate Minister of Health and as a member of the Greek Parliament. She has written and published research papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, while she has presented the results of her research papers at many national and international conferences.
Lilian Venetia Vildiridi
Secretary General for Health Services
Lilian Venetia Vildiridi is a health economist with expertise in health policy, planning, and financing. She holds degrees from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is currently pursuing a PhD at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
She has held key advisory and leadership roles at the Greek Ministry of Health, including Director of the Alternate Minister’s office and coordinator for Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) health projects. She also represented Greece on the European Commission’s board for COVID-19 vaccine and treatment procurement.
Her experience includes research at LSE Health and Social Care, and she has played a central role in modernizing Greece’s healthcare infrastructure.
Florian Tille
Florian is with the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, based at the Berlin Hub.
His main areas of work range across evidence-informed health policy and health care for strengthening health systems in Europe. His current focus is on managing two EU-funded projects on cancer research, policy and care, contributing to knowledge brokering with evidence briefings and policy dialogues.
Prior to joining the Observatory, Florian worked at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, as well as with the Integrated Health Services Department at WHO Headquarters, on quality of care, health services resilience, emergency preparedness and response. Before that, he was at the International Department of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health, and the National Association of Physicians.
Florian holds a doctorate in public health from the Charité Medical University in Berlin and a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.
Giorgos (George) Kapetanakis
ELLOK, President
George Kapetanakis is the President of the Hellenic Cancer Federation – ELLOK and President of the Cancer Patients Association of Pieria.
His experience with cancer 12 years earlier was the catalyst that led him to actively engage in supporting oncology patients. Alongside other patients who shared the same vision, he has worked consistently since 2015 to establish and develop the Hellenic Cancer Federation as the central national umbrella organisation for cancer patient associations in Greece.
He is an active volunteer and member of the Bone Marrow Donor Volunteer Association “Vision of Hope,” promoting the national awareness campaign for voluntary bone marrow donation. He is a strong advocate of the European perspective to effectively address the modern challenges of cancer care and reduce existing inequalities. Furthermore, he believes that collaboration among cancer patient organisations at a European level can provide effective solutions to the serious problems faced daily by cancer patients across Europe. Professionally, he works in the financial services sector.
Hardavella Georgia
Consultant Respiratory Physician at “Sotiria” Athens Chest Diseases Hospital
Georgia is a Consultant Respiratory Physician at “Sotiria” Athens Chest Diseases Hospital in Greece, one of the country’s foremost national centres for respiratory care, offering over 300 specialized respiratory beds. She has a particular clinical and research interest in lung cancer and interventional bronchoscopies.
Previously, she held the position of Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for Lung Cancer, Bronchoscopy, and Pulmonary Nodule Services at King’s College Hospital in London. She received advanced training in these subspecialties at University College London (UCL), where she also led and contributed to several clinical research initiatives, in collaboration with both UCL and King’s College London. She currently maintains an active and expanding clinical research portfolio at ‘’Sotiria’’ Athens’ Chest Diseases Hospital and she has numerous publications in the field of thoracic oncology.
Georgia serves as the Secretary of the Thoracic Oncology Assembly within the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Through her ongoing involvement with ERS, she has led and contributed to numerous European multidisciplinary initiatives focusing on lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, working in close collaboration with leading experts in the field.
In Greece, she chairs both the National Task Force for Lung Cancer Screening and the Lung Cancer Group of the Hellenic Thoracic Society. The National Task Force is a multidisciplinary collaboration among the Hellenic Thoracic Society, Hellenic Society of Radiology, Hellenic Society of Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, and the Hellenic Cancer Federation. It has developed the country’s national guidelines and a standard operating procedure for lung cancer screening, tailored to both the public and private healthcare sectors. The Task Force will also launch a comprehensive, multidisciplinary training program for healthcare professionals involved in lung cancer screening.
A strong advocate of patient and public engagement in clinical research and service development, Georgia has worked closely with the European Lung Foundation, previously serving as Chair of its Professional Advisory Committee.
Additionally, she is the Secretary of the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP), where she plays a central role in accrediting training centres and educational activities in respiratory medicine across Europe.
Hugo Soares
PhD, Science Manager at AICIB – The Portuguese Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation & Co-coordinator, ECHoS Project
Hugo Soares is a Science Manager at AICIB – The Portuguese Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation – where he co-coordinates the European project ECHoS, aiming at creating a network of support to EU Mission on Cancer, and the Portuguese National Cancer Hub (NCH-PT), a structure dedicated to connecting people and organizations to foster the translation of scientific evidence into policies.
The NCH-PT is oriented towards the implementation of EU Mission on Cancer and EBCP initiatives in the full spectrum of cancer – from fundamental research to clinical research and clinical practice. The NCH-PT catalyses the development of multi-stakeholders’ projects and connections to the community in Health, Research and beyond. Hugo holds a a PhD in Biotechnology by NOVA University of Lisbon
João Breda
Head of the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens & Special Representative and Officer in Charge of the WHO Country Office in Greece
Georgia is a Consultant Respiratory Physician at “Sotiria” Athens Chest Diseases Hospital in Greece, one of the country’s foremost national centres for respiratory care, offering over 300 specialized respiratory beds. She has a particular clinical and research interest in lung cancer and interventional bronchoscopies.
Previously, she held the position of Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for Lung Cancer, Bronchoscopy, and Pulmonary Nodule Services at King’s College Hospital in London. She received advanced training in these subspecialties at University College London (UCL), where she also led and contributed to several clinical research initiatives, in collaboration with both UCL and King’s College London. She currently maintains an active and expanding clinical research portfolio at ‘’Sotiria’’ Athens’ Chest Diseases Hospital and she has numerous publications in the field of thoracic oncology.
Georgia serves as the Secretary of the Thoracic Oncology Assembly within the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Through her ongoing involvement with ERS, she has led and contributed to numerous European multidisciplinary initiatives focusing on lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, working in close collaboration with leading experts in the field.
In Greece, she chairs both the National Task Force for Lung Cancer Screening and the Lung Cancer Group of the Hellenic Thoracic Society. The National Task Force is a multidisciplinary collaboration among the Hellenic Thoracic Society, Hellenic Society of Radiology, Hellenic Society of Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, and the Hellenic Cancer Federation. It has developed the country’s national guidelines and a standard operating procedure for lung cancer screening, tailored to both the public and private healthcare sectors. The Task Force will also launch a comprehensive, multidisciplinary training program for healthcare professionals involved in lung cancer screening.
A strong advocate of patient and public engagement in clinical research and service development, Georgia has worked closely with the European Lung Foundation, previously serving as Chair of its Professional Advisory Committee.
Additionally, she is the Secretary of the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP), where she plays a central role in accrediting training centres and educational activities in respiratory medicine across Europe.
Mahdi Sheikh
Scientist, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC – WHO), Deputy Chair of the Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Committee at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
Dr. Mahdi Sheikh is a scientist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC – WHO) and serves as Deputy Chair of the Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Committee at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). Over the past decade, Dr. Sheikh’s research has focused on understanding the impact of addictive substance use, including opioids and various tobacco products, on cancer risk and survival. He has led pioneering studies demonstrating the clinical benefits of quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis across multiple cancer types and diverse populations.
He has also contributed to the growing body of evidence supporting the integration of smoking cessation interventions into lung cancer screening programs. Dr. Sheikh’s work played a key role in the recognition of the carcinogenicity of opium consumption, leading to its classification as “carcinogenic to humans” by the IARC-WHO. In 2021, he founded the Opioid Cohort Consortium (OPICO), a global initiative involving 20 institutions and harmonizing data from 25 sources across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, creating a unique dataset of nearly two million individuals to investigate the long-term health consequences of opioid use.
María Lasierra Losada
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe
María Lasierra Losada is a technical officer at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark. She has been with WHO since 2019, initially as a consultant and then as a technical officer. Her work focuses on non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD in Molecular Medicine from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Dr Richard Lee
Consultant Respiratory Physician and Champion for Early Cancer Diagnosis at the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London
His main clinical and research interest is early lung cancer diagnosis, as joint National Clinical Lead of the NHS England National Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) Programme that will deliver lung cancer screening to the entire UK eligible population by 2029. His research portfolio includes translation of artificial intelligence (AI) research to early cancer detection within studies such as LIBRA, OCTAPUS-AI and AI-SONAR. He is also Principal Investigator for early diagnosis biomarker studies such as NIMBLE, SCOOT and, SPICED across lung screening and genetic risk cohorts. Dr Lee is also The Royal Marsden’s Chief Research Information Officer and co-leads the Early Diagnosis and Detection Centre, at The Royal Marsden and ICR
Dr. Sofia Xesfingi
National Contact Point in the thematic area of Health and in the Cancer Mission
Sofia Xesfingi works at the National Documentation Center (EKT) as a research and innovation advisor for Horizon Europe programs from 2022. She is appointed National Contact Point in the thematic area of Health and in the Cancer Mission, manages the respective European networks HNN3.0 and ECHoS, and she is a member of the Enterprise Europe Network Hellas and President of the Sector Group Health, supporting Greek institutions in achieving business and technological partnerships, as well as in the participation and implementation of research projects.
She is a post-doctoral researcher, specialized in the field of health economics and has experience in all stages of managing and implementing national, co-financed and international projects, both in corporate environments and with international or national agencies/organizations. She also has academic and teaching experience in health-related topics. She holds a doctorate and a master’s degree from the University of Piraeus in Economics with a specialization in health and a degree in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Results and Consensus of the Policy Dialogue on Lung Cancer, Athens
Lung cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers, largely because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage when curative treatment is no longer viable. In Greece, as in much of Europe, significant progress has been made in access to treatments, however challenges persist in early detection, timely access to care and equitable access to innovation.
This year’s Athens Policy Dialogue on Lung Cancer convened by the Hellenic Cancer Federation ELLOK and the European Project ECHoS, with the support of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies brought together national and international experts, policymakers, healthcare professionals, pharma industry representatives, patient and citizen organisations and public health leaders in Athens for a Policy Dialogue on Lung Cancer. The event focused on strengthening prevention, improving early detection, ensuring equitable access to innovation and tackling lung cancer across different stages of the disease while building a sustainable health system that delivers better outcomes.
Background
It is important to recognise that lung cancer is not a “self-inflicted” disease and can affect anyone. Addressing it effectively requires moving beyond stigma and focusing on prevention, early diagnosis and quality care for all. Major risk factors (including smoking, vaping, air pollution and occupational exposure) significantly increase the likelihood of lung cancer. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in the EU, accounting for nearly 500,000 fatalities in 2021 and an estimated 2.5% of Europe’s annual GDP.
A Call for Bold, Coordinated Action
“Prevention is the first and most powerful pillar of a national lung cancer response,” participants emphasized during the event. Measures such as reducing smoking and vaping, improving air quality, and protecting workers from carcinogen exposure will save lives, strengthen health systems and benefit the economy.
Implementing a population-based screening programme will allow detection at earlier stages of the disease, with the potential to dramatically improve survival rates. Participants also emphasised that primary healthcare must be the cornerstone of a sustainable cancer strategy, serving as the main entry point for prevention, risk assessment, screening referrals and smoking/vaping cessation support.
Achieving truly integrated and patient-centred lung cancer care requires more than optimised clinical pathways; it depends on the underlying healthcare system’s capacity to support and sustain these improvements. Robust infrastructure, interoperable health data systems, standard operating procedures, workforce staffing levels and training, as well as policy frameworks are all essential to enable consistent, high-quality care across regions. By strengthening these system-level enablers, Greece can ensure that innovations in prevention, diagnosis and treatment are translated into tangible benefits for patients.
Participants highlighted that preventable mortality will continue until all patients can access innovation as early as possible, from diagnosis onwards -including molecular diagnostics, tumour profiling and cutting-edge treatments. Eligibility tools, such as the ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets (ESCAT), should be used to define relevant criteria and guide decision-making. These steps would ensure that each patient rapidly receives the most effective and least invasive therapy available.
Effective lung cancer care extends beyond diagnosis and treatment to help patients and their families reintegrate into daily life, work and society. Supportive care and survivorship programmes should be set up in Greece to provide comprehensive support, including physical and pulmonary rehabilitation, psychological counselling, vocational guidance and social services. By addressing the long-term needs of patients with lung cancer and survivors, Greece can improve their quality of life, access to social support, reduce the burden on families and the healthcare system, and ensure that survivors remain engaged and empowered in their ongoing care.
Key Recommendations
1. Prevention and Public Awareness
- Fully implement WHO FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) measures and Hellenic Law 5216/2025 to protect minors and reduce tobacco use.
- Launch nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about smoking, vaping, and lung cancer risk, promoting cessation support and destigmatising the disease. Where possible, these campaigns should collaborate with other public health initiatives, such as cardiovascular health programmes, to maximise resources and impact.
- Address air pollution and occupational exposures through evidence-based regulation and enforcement.
- Encourage healthy lifestyle choices from an early age, including targeted school-based and workplace programmes.
2. Primary Care and Early Detection
- Empower General Practitioners as the first line of defence: identify individuals at risk, provide balanced information on screening, encourage cessation and refer promptly.
- Implement risk-based low-dose CT screening for lung cancer as the fourth national cancer screening pillar in Greece, following guidance by EU/WHO and by the Hellenic National Task Force on Lung Cancer Screening, a multidisciplinary Task Force where ELLOK is a key partner. The Task Force has established national guidelines on lung cancer screening, standard operating procedures tailored to the Hellenic National Health System, a quality assurance scheme as per European guidance and dedicated lung cancer screening training curriculum for healthcare professionals and it has therefore provided a pragmatic implementation framework.
- Ensure outreach to rural, low-income and underserved populations (where smoking prevalence is higher) and raise public awareness of early symptoms and screening availability.
3. Equitable, Integrated Care Pathways
- Improve early access to cutting-edge innovative therapies.
- Create structured diagnostic and treatment patient pathways for lung cancer in Greece. This will streamline the provision of care across the spectrum of lung cancer and will ensure improved patient outcomes and more efficient use of healthcare resources.
- Guarantee timely access to the diagnostic and treatment pathway for lung cancer, including molecular diagnostics and precision oncology using validated frameworks.
- Ensure patients with lung cancer have access to strengthened multidisciplinary (MDT) care, including respiratory physicians, oncologists, radiotherapists, radiologists, thoracic surgeons, clinical nurse specialists, pathologists, psycho-oncologists and patient representatives.
- Ensure patients’ access to clinical trials for novel therapies.
- Integrate supportive care from diagnosis to treatment and beyond, ensuring holistic care for patients and families.
- Assess patients’ social, financial and spiritual needs, where applicable and suggest guidance for the provision of dedicated support should this be required.
- Link smoking and vaping cessation programmes to both prevention and treatment pathways.
- Promote inter-specialty training for healthcare professionals, including nurses, surgeons, pathologists and psycho-oncologists, to enhance coordination and quality of care.
4. Patient Navigation and Support
- Establish a Patient Navigator role for newly diagnosed patients to serve as a single point of contact, coordinating diagnostics, appointments and MDT referrals, providing psychosocial support and guiding patients to clinical trials and rehabilitation services.
- Integrate survivorship programmes, including vocational and psychological support into the National Cancer Control Plan.
5. System-Level Enablers
- Develop, expand and modernise cancer registries and introduce quality indicators to monitor outcomes and equity.
- Expand the existing digital prevention platform to include a fourth pillar on lung cancer screening.
- Harness self-assessment tools, invest in digital health infrastructure, telehealth and patient digital literacy.
- Establish a National Lung Cancer Task Force under the Ministry of Health to oversee implementation, liaise with European partners and track measurable progress.
- Empower patient organisations through co-created decision tools and participation.
- Actively monitor the quality of care and implement quality assurance schemes as per European guidance. Centres should establish performance metrics and quality indicators in line with the European Cancer Organisation’s Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care: Lung Cancer and other relevant guidelines, while complying with national and legal standards.
- Implement effective operational policies to realise the full benefits of a coordinated clinical pathway. This includes robust data management and reporting, active engagement with patients, carers and support organisations and clear governance and accountability mechanisms.
- Launch pilot projects to test innovative approaches in prevention, screening, or care delivery before wider rollout.
Economic and Societal Impact
Participants highlighted that earlier detection, timely treatment and coordinated care can reduce health system costs, improve workforce productivity and deliver measurable survival gains. “Every year of delay, costs lives and strains hospitals, action now will pay dividends for decades,” concluded one expert.
Call to Action
- Combine anti-tobacco awareness, smoking and vaping cessation and informative campaigns in schools, training institutions, universities and targeted populations.
- Invest in prevention, primary care and innovation access to build a resilient, future-ready health system.
- Establish a National Lung Cancer Screening Programme based on guidance published by the National Hellenic Task Force on lung cancer screening, by starting pilots that will feed information to a future national programme, optimising implementation and impact.
- Empower patients and professionals alike through navigation support, education, and co-creation of solutions.
- Facilitate earlier access to cutting edge therapies and personalised medicine, develop more lung cancer-focused clinical trials.
- Design effective supportive care and survivorship programmes.
- Align with EU Cancer Mission objectives and WHO targets to improve early detection, reduce mortality and deliver equitable access to innovation.
