The European Cancer Screening and Early Detection Policy Summit showcased three implementation-focused projects under the EU4Health Programme 2021-2027:
- PRAISE-U: testing a personalised, cost-effective prostate cancer screening strategy through risk-based diagnostic algorithms
- SOLACE: designing comprehensive guidelines for lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography
- TOGAS: developing and implementing gastric cancer prevention strategies tailored for communities across Europe
The European Cancer Screening and Early Detection Policy Summit was chaired by Stella Kyriakides, Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety and David Collingridge, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology.
The two-day programme gathered health experts, patients, and policymakers to:
- Explain the results of PRAISE-U, SOLACE and TOGAS, share key findings and define effective implementation of these three screening programmes.
- Exchange views among screening and early detection communities and pave the way for future exploration and international initiatives.
- Expand policy action through ambitious recommendations, ensuring screening and early detection’s place on the political agenda.
Look back at the highlights of the Summit (day 1 & day 2), and continue sharing your experiences and building your networks on social media.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Speakers
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Stella Kyriakides Summit Co-Chair & Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board
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Skirmantas Krunkaitis Vice Health Minister, Lithuania
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Vlastimil Válek Former Minister of Health & Member, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
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Līga Āboliņa Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia
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Catarina Martins MEP Member, Committee on Public Health (SANT)
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David Collingridge Summit Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology
Speakers
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Stella Kyriakides Summit Co-Chair & Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board
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Skirmantas Krunkaitis Vice Health Minister, Lithuania
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Vlastimil Válek Former Minister of Health & Member, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
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Līga Āboliņa Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia
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Catarina Martins MEP Member, Committee on Public Health (SANT)
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David Collingridge Summit Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology
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Stella Kyriakides Summit Co-Chair & Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board Read Bio
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Vlastimil Válek Former Minister of Health & Member, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
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Līga Āboliņa Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia
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Catarina Martins MEP Member, Committee on Public Health (SANT)
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Partha Basu Head, Early Detection, Prevention & Infections Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) Read Bio
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Agnieszka Kinsner-Ovaskainen Team Leader in the Disease Prevention Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) Read Bio
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Tit Albreht Head of Centre for Health Care, National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia & President, European Public Health Association (EUPHA) Read Bio
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Caroline Berchet Health Economist, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Read Bio
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Yannick Romero Senior Knowledge and Advocacy Manager, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) Read Bio
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Pippa Powell Director, European Lung Foundation
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Harry de Koning Deputy Head and Professor of Public Health and Screening Evaluation, Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam
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Luis Martí-Bonmatí Director, Medical Imaging Clinical Area, Hospital La Fe & Scientific Coordinator, Cancer Image Europe (EUCAIM) Read Bio
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Georgios Margetidis Head of Sector, European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)
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Domenico Fiorenza Glanzmann Policy Officer, European Commission
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Sarah Collen PRAISE-U Project Coordinator & EU Policy Manager, European Association of Urology (EAU)
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Arunah Chandran PRAISE-U Project Representative & Public Health Officer, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Read Bio
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Anna Kerpel-Fronius SOLACE Project Coordinator
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Helmut Prosch SOLACE Project Coordinator & Associate Professor, Medical University of Vienna
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Mārcis Leja TOGAS Project Scientific Coordinator & Professor and Director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, University of Latvia & Former Member, Cancer Mission Board Read Bio
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Pieter Vynckier PRAISE-U Project Representative & Post-Doctoral Researcher, Ghent University
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Monique Roobol PRAISE-U Project Representative & Professor of Decision Making in Urology, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam Read Bio
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Torsten Blum SOLACE Project Representative
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Emily Nischwitz SOLACE Project Representative & Scientific Project and Clinical Data Manager, University Hospital Heidelberg Read Bio
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Lionne Venderbos PRAISE-U Project Representative & Assistant Professor, Department of Urology, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam Read Bio
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Tom Stargardt SOLACE Project Representative & Professor for Health Care Management, University of Hamburg Read Bio
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Tatjana Kofol TOGAS Project Representative & Senior Researcher, National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia Read Bio
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Inese Poļaka TOGAS Project Representative & Lead Research Scientist, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, University of Latvia
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Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar TOGAS Project Representative
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Bojan Tepeš TOGAS Project Representative
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Speakers
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Stella Kyriakides Summit Co-Chair & Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board
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Skirmantas Krunkaitis Vice Health Minister, Lithuania
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Vlastimil Válek Former Minister of Health & Member, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
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Līga Āboliņa Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia
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Catarina Martins MEP Member, Committee on Public Health (SANT)
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David Collingridge Summit Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology
Registration closed
Speakers
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Stella Kyriakides Summit Co-Chair & Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board
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Skirmantas Krunkaitis Vice Health Minister, Lithuania
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Vlastimil Válek Former Minister of Health & Member, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
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Līga Āboliņa Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia
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Catarina Martins MEP Member, Committee on Public Health (SANT)
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David Collingridge Summit Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology
Programme
Tuesday 17 February 2026
Day 1: Achievements - Progress since the Council Recommendations on Cancer Screening
The European Cancer Screening and Early Detection Policy Summit programme will be moderated by physician and health journalist, Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif.
14:00-14:30 |
Registration & welcome coffee |
14:30-14:45 |
Welcome & Opening Remarks |
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With:
The session recording is now available here. |
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14:45-16:20 |
Session 1 - Presenting the overall European cancer screening policy context and the PRAISE-U, SOLACE and TOGAS projects |
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General introduction to the event, presentations and reflections on the projects, covering the following elements:
Relevance: Emphasis on the significance of the projects from a policy, patient/civil society and academic perspective. Next steps: Planned activities, future milestones, and sustainability strategies, with a focus on delivering key messages on how the wider community of policymakers and stakeholders can support them. Facilitated by Isabel Rubio, President, European Cancer Organisation, with:
The session recording is now available here. |
16:20-16:45 |
Coffee break & projects exhibition |
16:45-18:15 |
Session 2 - Lessons from the implementation studies |
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This session was an interactive exchange of lessons learned between local pilot representatives from PRAISE-U, SOLACE, and TOGAS. Guided by a professional moderator and an expert in the field, the discussion focused on cross-cutting topics such as:
The session aimed to promote peer learning and share practical insights across the three projects. It also exemplified how these pilots can benefit allied implementation efforts and relevant target groups, thereby stimulating interest among event participants in supporting the transfer of these lessons beyond the projects’ contexts. Facilitated by Tit Albreht, Head of the Centre for Health Care, National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia, with:
The leads of the different pilot sites presented their work to event participants. The session recording is now available here. |
18:15-18:30 |
Launch of the European Lung Cancer Screening Alliance (ELCSA) |
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With:
The session recording is now available here. |
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18:30-20:30 |
Networking cocktail dinner |
Wednesday 18 February 2026
Day 2: Next steps – Requirements and aspects of upscaling and implementation of cancer screening programmes
The European Cancer Screening and Early Detection Policy Summit programme will be moderated by physician and health journalist, Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif.
08:15-08:45 |
Registration & welcome coffee |
08:45-08:55 |
Welcome, Recap of Day 1 & Introduction to Day 2 |
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The session recording is now available here. |
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08:55-09:00 |
Perspective from the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) |
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With:
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09:00-10:15 |
Session 3 - Cost-effectiveness of screening for lung, prostate and gastric cancer |
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This session explored the economic dimension of expanding cancer screening programmes across Europe, focusing on prostate, lung and gastric cancers. Experts presented evidence, including direct healthcare costs, long-term savings through early detection, and the broader socioeconomic benefits. The discussion also touched on the challenges of translating cost-effectiveness evidence into policy decisions and resource allocation in national health systems. Facilitated by Harry de Koning, Deputy Head and Professor of Public Health & Screening Evaluation, Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, with:
The session recording is now available here. |
10:15-10:45 |
Coffee break & projects exhibition |
10:45-12:00 |
Session 4 - Data collection and sharing: Advancing cancer screening programmes' quality and outcomes in the European Health Data Space (EHDS) era |
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This session explored the role of data collection systems, continuous monitoring and quality assurance frameworks in the long-term value of cancer screening programmes. Focusing on prostate, lung and gastric cancers, speakers examined how well-defined indicators and real-time data can inform policy decisions, ensure quality and equity, and drive continuous programme improvement. The session also highlighted the importance of incorporating patient perspectives into evaluation processes. Facilitated by Partha Basu, Head of Early Detection, Prevention & Infections Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), with:
The session recording is now available here. |
12:00-13:00 |
Networking Lunch |
13:00-14:30 |
Session 5 - National implementation: from recommendations to programmes |
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This session focused on the need for recommendations generated by PRAISE-U, SOLACE and TOGAS to be translated into the implementation of cancer screening programmes against prostate, lung and gastric cancer at the national level across EU Member States. Country experiences and policy benchmarking initiatives were used to highlight requirements, barriers and enablers to scale up screening programmes in diverse national contexts. Facilitated by Florian Tille, Technical Officer, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Including keynote addresses from:
With:
The session recording is now available here. |
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14:30-15:00 |
Coffee break & projects exhibition |
15:00-16:00 |
Session 6 - Maintaining political momentum in cancer screening across Europe |
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This high-level session will explore how to sustain and strengthen political commitment and financial investment in cancer screening across Europe, as a critical requirement to enable the scale-up of prostate, lung and gastric cancer screening programmes. The discussion will address the role of future EU funding instruments, such as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in supporting Member States’ efforts and maintaining momentum beyond the current policy cycle. Facilitated by Stella Kyriakides, Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board, with:
The session recording is now available here. |
16:00-16:15 |
Wrapping up, closing remarks & end of event |
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With:
The session recording is now available here. |
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16:15-17:00 |
Farewell networking gathering |
Speakers
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Stella Kyriakides Summit Co-Chair & Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board
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Skirmantas Krunkaitis Vice Health Minister, Lithuania
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Vlastimil Válek Former Minister of Health & Member, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
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Līga Āboliņa Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia
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Catarina Martins MEP Member, Committee on Public Health (SANT)
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David Collingridge Summit Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology
Speakers
-
Stella Kyriakides Summit Co-Chair & Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety & Co-Chair of the ESO Advisory Board
-
Skirmantas Krunkaitis Vice Health Minister, Lithuania
-
Vlastimil Válek Former Minister of Health & Member, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
-
Līga Āboliņa Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia
-
Catarina Martins MEP Member, Committee on Public Health (SANT)
-
David Collingridge Summit Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology
