Cancer screening, diagnosis and care

The European Commission Initiatives on Cancer develop up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines for primary prevention, screening and diagnosis. They also develop quality assurance schemes for cancer services covering the entire care pathway comprising screening and diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and supportive care .

In December 2022, following the European Commission’s proposal to strengthen cancer prevention through early detection, the Council of the EU adopted a new approach on cancer screening. In addition to screening for breast, colorectal and cervical cancers, the new Council recommendation suggests screening for lung, prostate, and under certain conditions, gastric cancers.

The European guidelines and quality assurance schemes are given centre stage as instruments to ensure that evidence-based, quality assured and up-to-date screening programmes are implemented in the EU.

The European Commission Initiatives on Breast, Cervical, Colorectal, Gastric, Lung and Prostate Cancers

• develop European guidelines on cancer prevention, screening and diagnosis;
• develop associated quality assurance schemes for healthcare services covering the entire cancer care pathway, from prevention and screening to diagnosis, as well as treatment, follow-up and supportive care;
• rely on the latest available scientific evidence and follow an internationally recognised methodology, which also provides for full transparency and traceability;
• aim to ensure that essential quality care is provided across Europe and is equally accessible regardless of where a person lives or is treated, or their financial resources;
• are tailored for healthcare professionals and policymakers while emphasising patients' needs during the entire care pathway in a comprehensive manner;
• rely on working groups consisting of multidisciplinary teams including healthcare professionals, researchers and patients/caregivers who participate in every phase of the discussion and development of both the guidelines and the quality assurance scheme;
• coordinate with national representatives in countries throughout Europe for feedback, advice and consultation to ensure that national and local circumstances are appropriately taken into account;
• ensure transparency by managing possible conflicts of interest through annual and specific declarations of interests;
• regularly update their guidelines and quality assurance schemes and regularly solicit feedback from the public/scientific community.

The European Commission initiatives on cancer are improving approaches to cancer primary prevention, screening and care to support Europe in overcoming inequalities in access to quality care (documented in the European Cancer Inequalities Registry) and improve cancer outcomes.

Radiation protection and related issues

In this context, worth to point to other activities undertaken, in this case by the European Commission (DG ENER), which has issued publications on radiation protection since 1976. The radiation protection publications give an insight on medical radiation exposure, radiological equipment, diagnostic reference levels, cancer risk modelling, environmental radioactivity and recommendations for monitoring individuals occupationally exposed to external radiation. Moreover, annual seminars are organised on radiation protection and related issues.

Ongoing and future goals

• Encouraging widespread adoption of the European guidelines and quality assurance schemes by raising awareness through organised informational campaigns targeting policy makers, healthcare professionals and the public.
• Facilitating implementation of the European guidelines and quality assurance schemes through training of healthcare professionals and policy makers.
• Supporting certification of cancer care services compliant with the requirements of the European quality assurance schemes.