In short
The Belgian Cancer Inventory is established on request of the Federal Cabinet and will act as the monitoring and evaluation framework for cancer care and control policies in Belgium. The Belgian Cancer Inventory compiles population-based evidence on a core set of indicators spanning the disease continuum: cancer prevention, early detection and screening, diagnosis, treatment, care organisation, quality of life and survivorship. The Belgian Cancer Inventory also tackles cross-cutting topics such as patient centeredness and inequalities.
Each iteration will feature core set of indicators as well as context-specific data and case studies reflecting current policy and funding priorities in the field. The aim is to provide key evidence on the status of cancer and control in Belgium for better planning, implementation and identification of gaps in information and/or service delivery. Routine reporting (on an annual or bi-annual) basis ensures continuity and trends analyses.
For more information about this project, please contact Gabrielle Schittecatte
Project description
Purpose
Cancer is one of the main public health challenges, and the second leading cause of mortality in Belgium and the EU. Recognising the urgency of tackling the entire disease pathway, the European Commission (EC) has launched Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP), a policy-driven strategy, and the Mission on Cancer (MoC), a research-focused undertaking. In Belgium, Sciensano’s Cancer Centre has been charged with the coordination and implementation of these programs, pioneering the setup of a dedicated structure in this regard, namely the Belgian EBCP Mirror Group.
While Belgian public, academic, private and not-for-profit entities have been highly involved in these EU initiatives since their launch, there is currently no mechanism to monitor the impact of EBCP’s uptake and implementation in Belgium. Moreover, in contrast to the momentum built up at the European level, the last Belgian Cancer Plan dates from 2008, with its most recent evaluation being published in 2012, highlighting an important gap.
To address this gap, Sciensano’s Cancer Centre was asked by the Federal Cabinet to develop a new monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, namely the Belgian Cancer Inventory, for cancer care and control in Belgium. The first iteration of the Inventory was produced in 2023, based solely on desk research and publicly available data.
Governance
Two bodies oversee the work of the Belgian Cancer Inventory. The first is the Steering Committee, composed of representatives of the Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), the Belgian Foundation against Cancer, the Belgian Board of Oncology, and the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE). The second body providing oversight has been the Patient Committee. All cancer patient organisations identified as operating on a national, regional, or local level in Belgium through a stakeholder mapping conducted by the Cancer Centre in 2023 were invited to join this committee. One member of the Patient Committee was also selected on a rotating basis by their peers to represent them on the Steering Committee.
Methods & Activities
With a view to avoiding traditional top-down approaches, it was decided that the framework would be designed co-creatively, by engaging patients and experts in the field. The aim was to enable the iterative and flexible monitoring of the implementation of Belgian and European cancer policies, while generating buy-in from stakeholders.
As such, a Delphi study was run from January to May of 2024, in order to select indicators for a new iteration of the Inventory. Additional qualitative methods were used to identify future trends and priorities in cancer care and control according to experts in the field.
Following the Delphi exercise, a feasibility analysis, to be completed in the fall of 2024, has been launched to ensure that the data needed for the indicators retained are readily available and accessible. A separate chapter in the Inventory will also list those indicators deemed by the Delphi participants as important to monitor, but not feasible to collect, as it will provide important insights into any existing gaps in the monitoring of cancer care and control in Belgium.
A benchmarking exercise, done in concert with the Belgian EBCP Mirror Group, will be conducted in the winter of 2024-2025, following which a foresight study will be carried out with the goal of future-proofing the Inventory.
