POLA Participates in 10th DiCE Masterclass Focused on GI Cancers and Patient Empowerment

POLA representatives joined the 10th Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) Masterclass in sunny Barcelona – a gathering that brought together patient organisations from across Europe to learn, connect, and share experiences in the field of digestive cancers.

For three days, participants explored the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of GI cancers, including colorectal cancer. But just as important as the scientific content were the honest conversations about real-life experiences – living with cancer, navigating care, and supporting one another. These stories, shared by patients and advocates, were moving, empowering, and a reminder of why we do this work.

This year’s Masterclass placed strong emphasis on:

• Psycho-emotional wellbeing as a core part of cancer care
• Shared decision-making between patients and healthcare teams
• Digital tools and AI to support communication and access to information

We were especially glad to see so many connections with ONCODIR’s goals – focused on how to prevent colorectal cancer by better understanding risks and using smart tools – like data, research, and technology—to support people in making informed health decisions. The sessions reminded us how important it is to involve patients every step of the way and to turn research into real, practical help for those who need it most.

Events like this strengthen our shared efforts across Europe. They also inspire us to keep pushing for change – so that people affected by cancer not only live longer, but live better.

We’re proud to be part of both DiCE and ONCODIR, and we’re looking forward to future collaborations that keep patients at the heart of progress.

Learn more about Digestive Cancers Europe: https://digestivecancers.eu
Read about POLA’s work: https://pola.lt