The Catalan Federation of Entities Against Cancer (FECEC) have raised a total of 57,174 euros as part of the "Posem-li pebrots al Càncer" initiative organized together with Condis supermarkets and which aims to show solidarity with cancer patients and to disseminate, as well, the task of accompaniment and support carried out by the entities affiliated to the FECEC.



This year's campaign, which is now in its ninth edition, was held last April 14 and 15, and during these two days, the public and, in particular, the customers of the Condis supermarkets participated in the solidarity program through the purchase of solidarity peppers. This year, 38,116 bags of peppers have been sold, selflessly provided by Agroponiente, at a symbolic price of 1.5 euros each, in the 680 establishments that Condis has in Catalonia. Each bag contained a red and a green pepper, and the resulting proceeds will be entirely allocated to the promotion of psychosocial care projects for cancer patients and their families.

The president of the FECEC, Maria Assumpció Vilà, has highlighted that "the campaign "Posem-li pebrots al Càncer" is very important to increase the awareness of the population in general towards people with cancer and their families In addition, it will help us to continue working to improve the quality of life of oncology patients and to continue offering services, both for them and for their families and caregivers, through our entities." Vilà also emphasized that the campaign promotes healthy eating, a key aspect in the prevention of cancer, and wanted to convey a message of thanks to the volunteers who make it possible for "Posem-li pebrots al Càncer" to take place every year.

Lourdes Bullich, responsible for Public Affairs and Communication of Condis, "like every year, from Condis we want to contribute our granite of sand in the fight against cancer, favoring the sale of solidarity peppers to our establishments and encouraging our clients to join the campaign”. In this line, Bullich highlighted "the solidarity of the citizens who, edition after edition, have demonstrated their sensitivity towards the reality of the oncological patient in our home".

Record number of volunteers

In this ninth edition, "Posem-li Pebrots al Cáncer" has had a record number of volunteers from all over the Catalan territory, a total of 1,019, called by the entities affiliated to the FECEC and which have been responsible for to know the objectives of the campaign and to disseminate among clients the task of accompaniment carried out by these entities. Of these volunteers, 175 have been secondary school students, who participate with the federated entities through the Community Service subject.

Author: FECEC

 

• People diagnosed with cancer report that support in the workplace is mainly provided by their colleagues
• 60% of workers ask for a comprehensive support plan for employees with cancer call for a business support plan for people diagnosed with cancer
• One in ten employees living with cancer have had to change the type of job they do, either within the same company or elsewhere
• More than 1,000 workers participated in the 1st edition of the Cancer & Work Barometer in Catalonia, published by the FECEC

47% of employees think that their company gives little or no support to employees with cancer. People living with cancer, in fact, reports that their colleagues are the main source of support in the workplace. Moreover, six out of ten workers call for a comprehensive support plan for employees with cancer, and 76% call on the company to increase their efforts to raise awareness of cancer in the workplace.

These are some of the conclusions of the 1st edition of the Cancer & Work Barometer in Catalonia, promoted by the Catalan Federation Against Cancer (FECEC). More than 1,000 people of working age took part in this study, which was conducted by the social science and research consulting agency GAPS.



For people living with cancer, work remains essential

61% of people living with cancer say that work, remains essential, giving their life meaning and motivation– 10 percent more than their healthy peers.

When it comes to returning to work after cancer, 88% say their job is the same as before the illness. However, side-effects of cancer and its treatment often mean that reasonable adjustments and accommodations are needed. These include, for example, flexible and reduced working hours, or combining in-person and remote work. It is important to highlight that, one in ten people have had to change the type of work they do, either within the company or elsewhere.

The Barometer also found that, once diagnosed, the vast majority of people of working age take sick leave at some point. Those who continue working, do so to maintain a sense of normalcy,  boost their self-esteem, or because of financial issues.

12% of the workers interviewed for the Barometer have or have had cancer, and 57% work or have worked alongside someone living with cancer.



When it comes to cancer stigma in the workplace, more should be done

Although survival rates have greatly increased in recent years, the word cancer still has a strong, negative and tragic connotation for workers, being associated with concepts such as ‘disease’, ‘fear’ and ‘death’.

In fact, four in ten workers believe that people diagnosed with cancer do not have the same opportunities as others.

Although there is no obligation to do so, workers tell their employers that they have been diagnosed with cancer, with only 16% of those affected choosing not to communicate that they have the disease. The trend is increasingly towards more communication.

Those workers who do report it feel that they receive support and empathy from the company, as well as a certain sense of sadness from their coworkers. However, they report changes in how they are treated. 27% say that people become more distant or find it more difficult to talk to them.

1st edition of the Cancer & Work Barometer in Catalonia

In Catalonia, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetime. However, investment in research and new treatments have reduced mortality rates, significantly improving survival and turned cancer into a chronic disease. This paradigm shift means that many people of working age who are diagnosed with cancer will have an active working life after overcoming the disease.



This is why the FECEC has been promoting the programme #aftercancer since 2015, and is now working on the Cancer and Work Barometer in Catalonia, in which more than 1,000 people of working age have participated. The Barometer is a useful, informational tool that aimed at improving the work-life balance of people with cancer (and other chronic diseases) in the workplace. 

Technical note:

The 1^st edition of the Cancer and Work Barometer in Catalonia was administered by GAPS, Política i Societat (a social science and research consulting agency with more than 20 years of experience in conducting studies on opinion, attitudes and behaviour) and supported and promoted by the Catalan Federation Against Cancer (FECEC). The research was carried out using an opinion poll with online surveys of 1,002 working people aged between 16 and 65 living in Catalonia, distributed proportionally to the active population with cross quotas of sex-age and province. To guarantee that workers diagnosed with cancer were included, this group was over-represented, applying a filter to specifically target workers who meet this requirement. Thus, of the 1,002 surveys, 124 correspond to people who are or who have been diagnosed with cancer. Data collection took place between 31 January and 16 February 2022. The overall margin of error is ±3.16%, with a confidence interval of 95.5% and the case of greater uncertainty, where p=q=50 and k=2.

Access the Cancer and Work Barometer in Catalonia here

Infographic summary

The launch event is sponsored by Laboratorios Janssen.

Author: FECEC

• FECEC calls for more investment and health professionals for primary care and warns that accumulated collapse continues to cause delays in cancer diagnosis at risk of worse prognosis.
• It shows that, despite efforts to standardise early screening programmes in cancer, two years after the outbreak of the health crisis, the pandemic is still on the bill and does not work 100%.
• This year FECEC-Junts contra el Càncer receive more demand for psychosocial care services.

Coinciding on 4th February, World Day Against Cancer, the president of the Catalan Federation of Anti-Cancer Entities (FECEC), Maria Assumpció Vilà, cautions that "if urgent measures are not taken to straighten out the situation in the health system the next pandemic will be cancer". FECEC asks the Generalitat for more resources and more health professionals to primary care.

Delays in cancer diagnosis continue

FECEC entities record in their day-to-day work with cancer-affected people that saturation at primary care causes delays in fast diagnostic circuits, where there is a suspicion of tumor. These delays in diagnosis are a worse prognosis for the treatment and cureability of the disease.

The successive waves of COVID-19 have brought primary care, already heavily worn after two years of pandemic, and years of cuts to the public health system. That is why FECEC calls for an urgent budget item and for more health professionals to be recruited to reverse the current collapse.

On the other hand, stressing that once the person is diagnosed with cancer, oncological care in hospital centers seems to function without delay in treatment.

We also wish to point out that, as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, FECEC have received more demand for psychosocial care services such as psychological accompaniment, legal advice and rehabilitation therapies...

The pandemic is still billing the screening programs

In June 2020, the screening program for breast cancer was resumed and in September the programme for colon and straight cancer in Catalonia, after months of a health crisis. Despite efforts to normalize its operation, at this stage the pandemic still causes affections. There is a direct link between the functioning of these programmes and the future incidence of cancer. In fact, the detection of this disease at more advanced stages poses a risk of worse prognosis, in terms of treatment and the chances of healing. With regard to early detection, FECEC urges the establishment of population screening for cervical cancer, approved by the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System.

Cancer in numbers

In 2022, more than 280,000 new cancer cases are expected in Spain compared with 276,239 registered the previous year, without counting the effects of COVID-19 as regards diagnostic delays. These are data from the report "Cancer in Spain 2022" by the Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM).

The European Commission notes that the number of cancer cases could increase by almost 25% by 2035, if no effective measures are taken, and this would make cancer the first cause of death in Europe.

Author: FECEC

The Assembly of the FECEC has unanimously appointed Maria Assumpció Vilà as the new president of the federation. Vilà has developed almost its entire career in the third sector. From 1978 to 2010 it has been linked to the fight against cancer. She was one of the founders and manager of Oncolliga, executive and technical secretary in the Spanish Anti-Cancer Association and also managed some areas of oncological volunteering. From 2010 until October 2021 he was Syndicate of Greuges of Barcelona.



With these words Maria Assumpció Vilà begins term :

Dear,

With a great deal of illusion and responsibility, I take the position of President of the FECEC. I worked with the federation 20 years ago. At that time I shared with other people involved the need to group and work together all the Catalan entities that, from different sides, we were fighting against cancer. In the last eleven years, my professional life has, however, been directed in another direction, the defence of the citizenship of the city of Barcelona. Now, at the end of this stage as a syndicate of grievances, I come back to where I did much of my career and volunteering. Indeed, from 1978 to 2010, my career was the fight against cancer.

I come to the presidency of the FECEC following the departure of Ramon M. Miralles, for health reasons, and that saddens me. He's an example to follow. You have managed to take the federation on the right track. I take the lead with the will to continue along the same lines and face up to the challenges of the future with energy and illusion.

Undoubtedly, the union does the force. For this reason, it is important to row together in order to achieve better results and to accompany us in this race against the disease, which will continue to evolve and make its way, with the aim of giving the attention that is due to cancer patients and their relatives. In this respect, the EEVC will continue to ensure that the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis and care of oncological patients is minimised, and also with the will to make the problems of people who have overcome cancer more visible, especially in the working environment.

I need the effort of everyone, of all the entities and all the people, that we form this great family and that we have a hunting path in front of us. I ask you to join me in this challenging and necessary path to achieve the best for a society that needs us and that expects a lot from us.

Thank you.

Maria Assumpció Vilà

Author: FECEC

The spectators of the webinars, a total of 435, put a very good mark on the cycle of talks organized by the FECEC on the occasion of the 20th anniversary.

The first cycle of webinars "Cancer: present and future" this March has concluded with success of participation. The cycle has included talks, dialogues and round tables on the most relevant aspects of the disease. On the occasion of the 20-year history of the FECEC, the first part of the series of webinars had a total of 435 viewers, including those who followed it online in real time and deferred via youtube. The webinar “Physical activity is health” is the one that had the most viewers, with a total of 109, and one that has obtained the best score, along with “Sequelae after cancer treatment”, rated with a 4.79 out of 5. On average, the five talks have obtained a very good rating, with a 4.6 out of 5. The webinars have featured prominent speakers such as Dr. Agustí Barnadas, director of the Medical Oncology Service of the Hospital de Sant Pau and Dra. in Biochemical Engineering Emma Roca, firefighter and ultra-distance athlete. Also speaking were Astrid Barqué, a graduate in Physical Education and a graduate in Sports Science, Dra. Elena Roura from the Alícia Foundation, the psychooncologist from the Kàlida Foundation, Sara Garcia, Dr. Patricia Martí, psychologist at Fundació Oncolliga, psychologist Mati Segura, sex and couple therapist, and the head of the Oncology department at La Roche Posay, Jesús Pérez Fierroa. The series of presentations was sponsored by Novartis, Pfizer, TRAM. In the coming months we will announce the second part of a series of webinars scheduled for November.   Author: FECEC

To commemorate 20 years of existence by supporting cancer patients, FECEC is organizing several communication actions and free webinars, which will take place throughout 2021.

The Catalan Federation of Organizations against Cancer (FECEC) was born in February 13 of 2001 with the aim of integrating efforts in the fight against oncological diseases in Catalonia. Its official presentation to the Parliament of Catalonia took place on October 15 of the same year. Today we celebrate 20 years of history pursuing the same initial goal: to work to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their families in Catalonia. And we want to celebrate that. FECEC is a second-level organization that brings together various organizations that work to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their families. The federation is an information census and provides services to federated cancer organizations. In addition, it encourages volunteering in the field of oncology, develops programs in the areas of dissemination and prevention, survivors and psychosocial research. Today, FECEC has 15 federated entities that together care for about 15,000 patients and families with psychosocial care services, we collaborate with more than 5,000 volunteers and employ more than 90 professionals. We celebrate 20 years of living with patients To commemorate these 20^th birthday, we have organized several activities, adapted to the circumstances that the pandemic demands of us, such as free webinars as well as different communication actions that will review our history. You can follow all this through our social networks and this website, which we are launching and which we have created for this purpose: https://www.juntscontraelcancer.cat/fecec-20-anys. On this page you can find all the congratulations we receive from other organizations and volunteers. We have also selected the 20 most significant photos in our history and we have explained the details of that moment, that action, that person or that program. The webinars will be divided into two blocks: one cycle is taking place in March with 5 conferences on different topics, and the other in November with another 5 lectures. The main focus of the webinars, entitled ‘Cancer: Present and Future’, is obviously cancer.

Author: FECEC

The yearly Oncology Volunteering Meeting organized by the Catalan Federation of Organisations Against Cancer (FECEC) was held on 16 November on its 15th anniversary.

In this very special edition, the day was devoted to "Volunteering, a way of understanding life" since we believe that volunteers have an attitude towards life that goes beyond the duration of their volunteering activities and that it is important to focus on this trait.

The event was conducted by Ignasi Gaya, a journalist working for Televisió de Catalunya’s News Services. At ten o'clock in the morning, there was a welcome speech by Dr. Ramón Maria Miralles, FECEC’s President and by representatives of the Employment, Social Affairs & Families ministries of the Catalonian Government, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Barcelona City Council as well.

Throughout the day, there were various talks and colloquiums. One of them was "The happiness of giving to others and to oneself' conducted by Dr. Jose Luís Bimbela, Doctor in Psychology, Professor, Researcher and Consultant at the Andalusian School of Public Health.

Later, two simultaneous workshops titled ‘Sound & silence as well-being tools' and 'Listen from the depths' took place.

The first was delivered by Edgar Tarrés, specializing in the creation of experiences and the second by Dr. Maria Rufino, Doctor in Psychology of Human Learning at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

At the end of the meeting, we had a small event celebrating our 15th anniversary!

We were very happy at FECEC to be able to celebrate such a landmark all together. During these years, we have been able to maintain this space to promote the link between all the volunteers who collaborate in this area of Catalonia and to recognize and thank their solidary work.

It is for this reason that we wish to thank all the volunteers of FECEC member entities for having participated in the XV Meeting!

Click on this link to see the photo album of the day!

    Author: FECEC