Dr Francesco Tava, Associate Professor of Philosophy, has recently been appointed to the STRONG-AYA Ethics and Regulatory Advisory Board. STRONG-AYA is a new, interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder European network to improve healthcare services, research and outcomes for adolescents and young Adults (AYA) with cancer, defined as individuals aged 15-39 years at cancer diagnosis, funded by the European Union and UKRI Innovate UK.
AYAs with cancer form a unique group; they face age-specific issues (e.g. infertility, unemployment, financial problems) and decreased quality of life due to cancer and its treatment. Unlike dedicated healthcare and trials for paediatric cancer patients, AYA-specific healthcare services are scarce and vary across Europe.
AYAs, who are at the core of society and the economy, need access to age-adjusted and high-quality healthcare. AYA care and research will benefit from collection and pooling of patient-centered data and collaboration among all stakeholders: patients, healthcare professionals, scientists, and policymakers. The consortium includes clinical and scientific leaders in AYA-care, data science and registries, The European Cancer Organisation, Youth Cancer Europe and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), building on previous initiatives and EU grants, and merging expertise with innovation.
The aim of STRONG-AYA is to set up a value-based healthcare research ecosystem to develop data-driven, interactive policy and visualization tools that bring, in co-creation with all stakeholders including patients, novel insights into AYA healthcare.
As per the grant agreements, the team are setting up advisory boards to provide perspective and non-binding guidance for the project. An external scientific advisory board has already been established with leading global experts on AYA cancer care, and we are in the process of setting up the Ethics and Regulatory Advisory Boards.
“Engaging in impactful interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder projects such as STRONG-AYA, which brings together experts in patient-centred healthcare, data collection and governance, security, and ethics, offers an unparalleled opportunity to cultivate applied philosophy. This dynamic involvement not only hones philosophy’s analytical and normative facets but also empowers us to leverage this discipline in dedicated service to the greater common good”.
Dr Francesco Tava, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Find out more about STRONG-AYA.