Time to Accelerate: for Cancer Screening
Cancer Screening: We can do better. We must do better!
An estimated 31% of men and 25% of women in the EU will receive a cancer diagnosis before they turn 75. Adequate screening programmes are essential to improve treatment outcomes and save lives. In 2024, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has joined forces with cancer experts and partner organisations to document the state of cancer screening implementation across Europe and formulate a series of best practices for each one of the six cancers covered by the Council’s latest recommendations (breast, cervical, colorectal, gastric, lung and prostate).
It's Time to Accelerate: for Cancer Screening across Europe
The December 2022 EU Council recommendations on cancer screening have shifted the landscape of early detection of cancer in Europe. The new recommendations have delivered an important refresh in the advice to member states on how to conduct breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening programmes. Importantly, it has also extended recommendations on cancer screening to lung, prostate and gastric cancers.
The Time to Accelerate: Cancer Screening campaign aims to help ensure that all EU member countries play their role in delivering the shared commitments represented by the Council Recommendations on cancer screening, and that all citizens in the EU benefit from the best policies for early detection of cancer.
Implementing and updating national screening strategies are key pillars for cancer prevention and for achieving the targets set in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. However, the challenges are multiple and complex. To ensure the success of this crucial initiative, the European Cancer Organisation has been working actively with member countries and involving national stakeholders. ECO acts as a hub of support, consulting with health professionals and patients. By doing so, the campaign aims to revolutionise screening approaches and to create a more inclusive and effective prevention environment across Europe.
Louder together
We invite all stakeholders interested in accelerating access and participation in cancer screening to join our campaign.
Together, we can collect more and better data, bring forward case studies of success, and highlight the insights of healthcare professionals and patients to decision-makers.
Sign up by contacting screening@europeancancer.org and participate in one or more of the three project focus areas below.
Our actions on cancer screening over the years
The European Cancer Organisation has played an active role in mobilising the cancer community to influence European legislation on screening. In September 2022, the European Commission proposed Council Recommendations on Cancer Screening. One month later, ECO released an open letter urging EU and national level decision-makers to take immediate action and safeguard the proposed recommendations.
Read more about this campaign in its dedicated article.
