Medicon Village-based Cancerkompisar selected for Sweden’s national cancer mission

Cancerkompisar has been selected as a partner in SweCan – Sweden’s Cancer Mission Hub. Founder and Executive Director Alexandra Lellky will represent the organisation, bringing 14 years of national experience and the carer perspective into the development of Sweden’s future cancer system.

Established by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Socialstyrelsen, on behalf of the Swedish Government, SweCan brings together selected actors from healthcare, academia and research, public authorities, industry and civil society. The partnership will address complex system challenges that no single actor can solve alone and help knowledge, innovation and new ways of working create tangible benefits for patients, carers and society.

Cancerkompisar was selected following an assessment of partners’ experience in policy and governance, organisational capacity, national reach and ability to contribute a cross-sector system perspective.

Since 2012, Cancerkompisar has worked at the forefront of digital peer-to-peer support and social innovation for people close to someone affected by cancer. Through its free nationwide digital meeting place, carers are matched with others in similar situations and can connect with someone who understands the reality of being close to a person with cancer. From its base at Medicon Village, Cancerkompisar also works to make carers’ needs and experiences visible and to strengthen the carer perspective in healthcare, municipalities, workplaces and society.

“Being selected for SweCan is a strong recognition of the work we have built over 14 years. Cancer affects more than the person who receives the diagnosis. We will use our place in the partnership to ensure that carers’ knowledge, needs and lived experience are part of the development from the beginning – not added at the end,” says Alexandra Lellky.

Cancerkompisar will contribute knowledge about the gaps carers encounter between healthcare, municipal support, working life and civil society – and about what is needed to create clearer routes to support for the whole family.

SweCan’s first partnership began its joint work at a national retreat on 25–26 August. For Cancerkompisar, the selection brings its work into one of Sweden’s new strategic arenas for system-level change.

It also sends an important message from within the Medicon Village ecosystem: medical progress is not complete until it works in people’s lives.

Click here to read about our 10 years in Medicon Village.