EU Commission: Cancer Plan. Prevention, early detection, diagnosis, improving quality of life of patients

Presented by the College of Commissioners today, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is structured around “four key action areas” and includes 10 flagship initiatives and multiple supporting actions. It will be implemented using “the whole range of Commission funding instruments”, with a total of €4 billion being allocated to actions addressing cancer from the EU4Health programme, Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe programme. The first action area is prevention, “through actions addressing key risk factors such as tobacco (with the aim to ensure that less than 5% of the population uses tobacco by 2040), harmful alcohol consumption, environmental pollution and hazardous substances”. The second area is early detection of cancer, by improving access to and quality of diagnostics, supporting Member States and “ensuring that 90% of the EU population who qualify for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings are offered screening by 2025”. The third area is diagnosis and treatment, “through actions to ensure better integrated and comprehensive cancer care and addressing unequal access to quality care and medicines”. Fourth, improving the quality of life of cancer patients and survivors, “including rehabilitation, potential tumour recurrence, metastatic disease”.
Gianni Borsa