The European Cancer Patient Coalition is pleased to announce the appointment of Ken Mastris as its new President. This decision is effective from 25th November 2020. Ken Mastris succeeds former President Kathi Apostolidis who was elected President of the Board in June 2019.
Ken Mastris is a prostate cancer patient and dedicated patient advocate. He is well-known in Brussels for his previous appointment as Chair of Europa Uomo and his involvement in other European organisations including the European Medicine Agency (EMA), the European Association of Urology (EAU) and the European Cancer Organisation (ECO). Currently, he is Chair of Tackle Prostate Cancer UK and the Association of Prostate Cancer Patients in London and Essex.
In the current ECPC Board, Ken Mastris has one of the longest histories in ECPC, as he has also served as Board Member in the previous mandate.
Ken is truly committed to promote patients’ equality in cancer treatment and better quality of life for cancer patients, in all of Europe. For that reason, during his mandate Ken will focus on working more closely with ECPC Members: “Our Members are a key cornerstone for ECPC. We have to listen to our members as patients’ needs must be represented in the policy-making process at European level. Patients need to be empowered and their voice needs to be heard. Together we are stronger.”
The new President added that ECPC Members are seeking for a higher active involvement and more information exchange: “We are constantly calling for policy makers to close the gap in access to treatment and care between cancer patients from different parts of Europe but I realised we need to start this change from ourselves. We need to ensure we are providing our members with equal opportunities and that we are not leaving any organisation behind.”
About the European Cancer Patient Coalition
With over 450 members, European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) is Europe’s largest umbrella cancer patients’ association, covering all 27 EU member states and many other European and non-European countries. ECPC represents patients affected by all types of cancers, from the rarest to the most common.
