Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network
Contact the NetworkThis network unites stakeholders to advance policy in three key areas: primary prevention, cancer screening, and early detection. It facilitates consensus-building, aiming to influence public policies and national plans to ensure resilient cancer care systems.
European Cancer Summit: Watch the 2024 Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network Session -Going Further on Prevention, Early Detection and Screening
Newly Implementable Programmes for Prostate, Lung and Gastric Cancer Screening
Join the European Cancer Screening and Early Detection Policy Summit on 17–18 February 2026, in Brussels & online!
Building on the EU Council’s landmark recommendations on cancer screening, the summit will present results from major EU4Health pilot projects: PRAISE-U (prostate cancer), SOLACE (lung cancer), TOGAS (gastric cancer).
Experts, policymakers and patient organisations will come together to share best practice, tackle barriers to implementation, and drive stronger commitments to early detection across all member states.
Cancer Screening: We can do better. We must do better!
Around 31% of men and 25% of women in the EU will face a cancer diagnosis before the age of 75. Screening programmes are vital to detect cancer early and save lives. In December 2022, the EU Council issued updated recommendations, extending screening guidance beyond breast, cervical and colorectal cancers to also include lung, prostate and gastric cancers.
In 2024, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) partnered with experts and organisations across Europe to assess how these recommendations are being put into practice and to highlight best practice. The Time to Accelerate: Cancer Screening campaign calls on all EU member states to strengthen early detection, so every citizen benefits from the latest advances in cancer screening.
Explore the key outputs of the campaign:
- European Cancer Screening Policy Index
- Screening Experiences Repository
- Screening Best Practices Repository
Connecting Cancer Science to Policy Opportunities in Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Screening
The Network collaborates with relevant decision-makers on a series of prevention initiatives:
- European Cancer Organisation welcomes revisions to the Tobacco Taxation Directive
- Joint call for acceleration of the implementation of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) during the new European Commission mandate
- Regulation of sunbeds: ECO replies to European Commission consultation
- Responding to several European Commission consultations, including those on food labelling, alcohol labelling and air quality
- Providing advice to the European Commission on the implementation of a ‘Health Literacy for Cancer Prevention and Care’ initiative, as outlined in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
Network legacy: previous initiatives
- Open letter on the new EU Council Recommendations on Cancer Screening
- Community 365 Roundtable Event on Cancer Early Detection and Screening in June 2021
- Catching All Cancers Earlier: A Critical Principle for New EU Recommendations
- Action Report ‘Primary Prevention: United for Action’‘Primary Prevention: United for Action’‘Primary Prevention: United for Action’
- The Primary Prevention Hub
- High-Level Meeting on Primary Prevention held on 28 May 2021
Background
Preventing cancer by modifying risk factors is the most cost-effective strategy. Prevention efforts include public awareness campaigns such as the European Code Against Cancer, and legislative and regulatory initiatives to reduce tobacco and alcohol use, improve diet, and encourage exercise.
Secondary prevention, including cancer screening and policies to achieve earlier diagnosis, can also dramatically improve patient outcomes.
The Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network brings together experts and stakeholders from the European Cancer Organisation Member Societies, Patient Advisory Committee, and Community 365, to drive fresh and stronger consensus on tactics and strategy.
