Assuring sustainable implementation of high-quality screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, as well as implementation of the recently recommended screening programmes – for lung, prostate and gastric cancers.

Europeans are disproportionately affected by cancer: while we make up only one tenth of the world population, about one in four of all annual cancer cases occurs in Europe. In 2020, there were about four million new cancer cases, and 1.9 million people are estimated to have died from cancer in Europe. In the European Union (EU European Union (European Union )) countries 2.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 1.3 million died due to cancer in 2020. The earlier cancer is diagnosed and treated, the greater the chances of survival. Prevention and early detection through population-based screening approaches and early diagnosis are critically important interventions of comprehensive cancer control policies. 

Objectives

The Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan has called for a new EU-Supported Cancer Screening Scheme to assure high performance of cancer screening programmes across all Member States (MS). The general objective of EUCanScreen is to assure sustainable implementation of high-quality screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, as well as implementation of the recently recommended screening programmes – for lung, prostate and gastric cancers. EUCanScreen will facilitate the reduction of cancer burden and achieving equity across the EU. Joint Action EUCanScreen started April 2024 and will run until March 2027.

Seven specific objectives have been set for EUCanScreen: 

1. ensuring full implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective and quality-assured screening programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers; 
2. preparing for implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective and quality-assured screening programmes for lung, prostate and gastric cancers; 
3. ensuring proper programme governance and sustainability; 
4. ensuring better-quality, timelier and comparable data collection and monitoring of screening programmes; 
5. ensuring equal access of eligible EU citizens to screening programmes and reducing cancer inequalities; 
6. ensuring capacity building in cancer screening, and 
7. ensuring collaboration and coherence with related projects funded under EU Programmes.

The work-plan of EUCanScreen has been built on the results of previous and ongoing major EU screening activities and is composed of eleven interlinked work packages.

Consortium

EUCanScreen is an EU project in which 29 partnering countries are represented, including 25 EU MS, 2 EU candidate countries (Ukraine and Moldova) and 2 countries in the European Free Trade Association (Norway and Iceland). 

RIVM role

RIVM coordinates the Dutch effort and is involved in many tasks. Furthermore, Erasmus Medical Center, Bevolkingsonderzoek Nederland (BVO NL) and Radboud University Medical Center are involved in the project. 

Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union’s EU4HEALTH Programme under Grant Agreement no 101162959.