Press Release: Europe needs to intensify and double cancer screening, concludes Commission report

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the European Union. Breast, cervical and colorectal cancer accounts for 32% of cancer deaths in women and 11% in men. With an ageing population, the figures are due to increase, unless preventive measures are taken to reduce cancer deaths. The European Union shares a common commitment to ensuring proper screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer, as set out in Council Recommendation of 2 December 2003 on cancer screening (2003/878/EC). In the first implementation report, the Commission highlighted that although much progress has been made in the field of cancer screening, Member States have not fully put this screening in place. Less than half of the minimum recommended numbers of screenings take place in the EU each year. By providing a clear description of the situation and the gaps, this report should help to renew the commitment to put in place breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening as a crucial and cost-effective measure to reduce the burden of cancer in the European Union.

European Commission: MEMO/09/20: Overview of the current coverage of population-based screening programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer across the EU http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/20&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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