Primary prevention interventions, aimed at preventing the onset of cancer through action on modifiable risk factors, are the most cost-effective strategy in the control of cancer. These notably include population-wide awareness campaigns, such as the European Code Against Cancer, and legislative or regulatory initiatives, such as on tobacco control, alcohol, improving diet and encouraging exercise.
Secondary prevention measures, such as cancer screening, and other policies aimed at achieving earlier diagnosis of cancer can also help achieve dramatically improved outcomes for patients.
However, policy recommendations in these areas are not always without controversy. The Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network, bringing together a wide range of experts and stakeholders, from the European Cancer Organisation Member Societies, Patient Advisory Committee and Community 365, has therefore been established with a core potential role of driving fresh and stronger consensus in areas chosen by its participants for focus.
Following a meeting of interested Member Societies and Patient Advocates in mid-July 2020, the immediate initial focus of the Network was identified as secondary cancer prevention (screening and early diagnosis). Additional work on primary prevention, amplifying the existing activities of Network participants and promoting collaboration with other international organisations, is also conducted by the Network.
On this basis, the Network presented its early considerations during its dedicated session at the European Cancer Summit 2020, where a resolution was passed with key initial recommendations of the Network to take European cooperation on cancer screening to the next level, in the context of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan:
The Network has been delighted that a number of these asks have been incorporated into Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’s dedicated pillars on cancer prevention and early detection.
Panel discussion at European Cancer Summit 2021 session "Beating Cancer Before It Starts: Lessons Learnt from Screening".
The European Cancer Summit 2021 featured a special session dedicated to discussion on the Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network, titled “Beating Cancer Before It Starts: Lessons Learnt from Screening". The session was co-chaired by Isabel Rubio and Jan van Meerbeeck and allowed for a high-level exchange on key developments and requirements to advance cancer screening and early detection through policy, research and practice, including leading representatives from the European Parliament, the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM), Cancer Research UK, as well as other expert healthcare professional, patient advocacy and stakeholder organisations.
The Network also formulated and agreed a specific section of the European Cancer Summit 2021 Declaration outlining the key importance of defining and addressing patient-centric public health needs in cancer treatment, research and policy:
“Wide-ranging EU Council Recommendations on Cancer Screening and Early Detection are required to ensure all countries can enhance their performance in catching cancer early, and for all tumour types. The new Council recommendations should include attention to how to better implement existing programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer, as well as how to achieve more effective strategies for screening and early detection of lung, prostate and other cancers, including via the use of risk-stratified approaches. This should be supported by the establishment of a range of mid- and long-term targets to support implementation of the new EU Council Recommendations on Cancer Screening and Early Detection.
Wider policy needs related to early detection should also be covered within the forthcoming update of Council recommendations, including, for example: heightening population awareness of potential warning signs of cancer, improving the role of primary care in early detection and leveraging the possibilities of new technologies in increasing early detection rates.”
The European Cancer Summit 2021 Declaration has already been endorsed by over 60 organisations from the European cancer community. If your organisation is interested in endorsing the Declaration, please contact us here
Presentation by Isabel Rubio, Co-Chair of the Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network, at the Community 365 Roundtable Meeting on Early Detection and Screening in June 2021.
In respect to its priority focus on secondary cancer prevention, the Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network held in June 2021 a special Community 365 Roundtable Event on Cancer Early Detection and Screening. The meeting brought together leading policy-makers, politicians, oncology experts and patient advocates to discuss the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and Cancer Mission in respect to:
Based on key reflections shared at this Roundtable event and on the occasion of its dedicated session at the European Cancer Summit 2021, the Network published a landmark stakeholder consensus statement outlining its key recommendations: “Earlier is Better: Advancing Cancer Screening and Early Detection”.
Produced in consultation with the European Cancer Organisation’s community, especially with the participants in the Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network, the report sets out a number of pressing needs to be encapsulated in the formal advice on cancer screening from the European Commission and Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM) to EU Member States, including:
Presentation by WHO Europe Cancer Ambassador, Aron Anderson, at the High-Level Meeting on Primary Prevention held on 28 May 2021.
In addition and in order to foster international and cross-disease collaboration in primary prevention whilst amplifying key initiatives in the field, the Prevention, Early Detection and Screening Network held in May 2021 a High-Level Meeting on Primary Prevention, co-chaired by Matti Aapro, President of the European Cancer Organisation, and Rui Medeiros, President of the Association of European Cancer Leagues. The meeting brought together leading experts in primary prevention of cancer and other non-communicable diseases, including representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and many others.
Building upon presentations and discussions at the meeting, the Network subsequently published an Action Report ‘Primary Prevention: United for Action’, incorporating concrete consensus recommendations on actions to be taken in following areas:
In the context of the meeting, the Network also set up a Primary Prevention Hub, bringing together resources and information from the European Cancer Organisation Member Societies, Patient Advisory Committee and other stakeholders from the cancer and wider non-communicable disease communities in respect to primary prevention.
Based on its agreed consensus positioning and in a context of intense policy activity around cancer prevention, the Network is exploiting available opportunities to convey its asks to relevant decision-makers. In 2021, this has notably included:
To find out more about this Network, or support our work, please contact us here.