Women & Cancer: From Evidence to Action

Cancer control has improved impressively across Europe. But the specific needs of women are too often absent in European health policies, creating gaps that directly and negatively affect outcomes.

These issues were examined during the Community 365 Roundtable last summer, where experts, policymakers and patient advocates highlighted persistent inequalities in diagnosis, treatment and survivorship for women across Europe.

Discussions focused on three key areas where progress remains uneven.

• Metastatic breast cancer continues to be marked by disparities in access to testing and innovative therapies, as well as ongoing stigma and limited employment support.
• Across gynaecological cancers, low health literacy, limited awareness of symptoms and insufficient access to fertility preservation counselling delay diagnosis and complicate decision making.
• Ovarian cancer presents an additional challenge, with most cases detected at a late stage due to vague symptoms, lack of screening programmes and uneven access to diagnostic tools.

The report presents recommendations to improve gender sensitivity within EU and national cancer strategies. Priority actions include expanding access to diagnostics and treatment, investing in training and patient information, and supporting innovation in prevention and early detection.

These proposals are intended to guide future European policy efforts, including the EU Gender Equality Strategy for 2026 to 2030.