M-icab

As part of its efforts to put patients at the centre of policy- and decision-making in the field of cancer, ECPC Brussels Office in 2010 established a policy platform, offering under-represented cancer communities the opportunity to speak through a patientled, independent initiative. This new model of connectivity places the cancer patient at the centre while providing a platform for all stakeholders to come together and exchange views and ideas.

The Melanoma Independent Community Advisory Board (M-ICAB), established as the first ICAB in 2010, aims to build true and meaningful partnerships with researchers, clinicians, pharmaceutical companies, EU institutions and regulatory bodies that will shift discourse from focusing on the ‘burden of care’ to planning for better cancer survivorship, outcomes, access and care.

From:

THE MELANOMA WHITE PAPER:

RESHAPING EU HEALTHCARE FOR MELANOMA PATIENTS:

A PAPER FROM THE INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD (M-ICAB) 2012

a European melanoma patient network

The [SITE_NAME] builds on the experience and tradition of m-icab, the Melanoma Independent Community Advisory Board.

M-icab was founded in 2010 upon the initiative of Patricia Garcia-Prieto and Quentin van Daele, both patients with metastatic Melanoma, and motivated by their own fight for access to innovative treatments in Melanoma.

This first ICAB- independent community advisory board- was launched by ECPC as a pilot project for adapting a modified version of the extremely successful ECAB conceptof the HIV/ AIDS community for cancer patients.

The initial focus of m-icab was access to innovative treatments but soon it became apparent that Melanoma patient advocacy lacked cohesion and exchange across Europe which resulted in the creation of the European Melanoma Patient Network.

Bettina Ryll got involved with Melanoma patient advocacy after loosing her husband to the disease in 2011 and took over the m-icab leadership after the death of the last remaining founder, Patrica Garcia-Prieto, in 2013. In order to account for the much broader advoacy activities surpassing the original ECAB concept, Bettina founded the Melanoma Patient Network Europe in 2013.

Currently, we are network of European Melanoma advocates with connections in 18 countries of the European Union and in the process of raising the necessary funds for a foundation to ensure independence and organisational long-term stability for the Melanoma Patient Network Europe.

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