Selected Scientific Presentations

Part I:

Highlight Session (February 21, 2026) –

«Socioeconomic Consequences of Cancer in Germany: The Perspective of Patients and their Relatives»

Michael Schlander:

Facts & Figures from the ongoing research programs of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI)

(Invited Presentation)

Michael Schlander with Ulrike Krämer (Düsseldorf), Anne Wieninger (Heidelberg) and Bernd Crusius (Bonn):

«Deutschland ‘Quo vadis?’»

(Panel Discussion)

Part II:

Michael Schlander with Julien Frick (first author), Daniela Doege, Rachel D. Eckford, Lena Koch-Gallenkamp, and Volker Arndt (senior author):

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Registry Study in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

(Research Presentation)

Registry-based information on cancer patients up to five years post-diagnosis was analyzed. Modalities (e.g. primary care), reasons, extent (e.g. cancellation), and decision-makers of pandemic-related changes in cancer care were self-reported. HRQoL was assessed using the EORTC scale, QLQ-C30. 21.7% of study participants (n>2,400) reported at least one change in cancer care. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was most impaired in patients with changes affecting both primary and secondary care, in cases of cancellation of appointments, and when physicians were involved in the decision to postpone or cancel medical care.
Summing up, pandemic-related changes in cancer care were associated with globally worse HRQoL. In conclusion, strengthening continuity in primary and secondary cancer care is essential to mitigate psychosocial impairments in future crises, and postponements should be prioritized over cancellations, with active patient involvement in decision-making being recommended.

Michael Schlander; on behalf of the OECI Task Force on Socioeconomic Impact Research:

Socioeconomic Impact Analysis: «Towards A More Comprehensive Patient Perspective» | Linking Research & Policy.

Michael Schlander:

Early Strategic Decision Making in Drug Development: The Role of Health Economics for Market Access.

(Presentation available on request)

Michael Schlander:

Should new drug prices be based on cost?

P. Duy Pham, Jasper Ubels, Rachel Eckford, Michael Schlander:

The Socioeconomic Impact of Cancer and Cancer Care on Patients and Their Relatives: Assessing the Content Validity of Dedicated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement (PROM) Instruments.

(Research Poster Presentation)
Value in Health (2025), PCR 85.

Michael Schlander, Valesca Retel, Wim van Harten, Rachel Eckford; on behalf of the OECI Task Force on the ´Socieconomic Impact of Cancer´:

More than “Financial Toxicity”: The Socioeconomic Impact of Cancer and Cancer Care on Patients and Their Relatives.

(Research Poster Presentation)
Value in Health (2025), PCR 34.