The EU-27 well being ministers lastly adopted new suggestions on most cancers screening on Friday (9 December), marking an necessary last-minute achievement for the Czech authorities earlier than the top of their EU presidency.
“The combat in opposition to most cancers is without doubt one of the major precedence subjects of the Czech presidency. Due to this fact I’m very glad we now have adopted this advice right this moment,” mentioned the Czech well being minister Vlastimil Válek following the approval of a new Council Advice on most cancers screening.
The earlier advice is from 2003 and included screening suggestions for breast, cervical and colorectal most cancers. With the newly authorized advice lung, prostate and gastric most cancers are actually included.
Válek advised the opposite well being ministers that the textual content displays an “evidence-based strategy”.
“Early detection via screening is without doubt one of the essential pillars of Europe’s Beating Most cancers Plan,” mentioned EU well being commissioner Stella Kyriakides.
“Nearly 20 years have handed for the reason that adoption of the present EU suggestions on breast, cervical, and colorectal most cancers. In these 20 years, drugs has made unbelievable advances. And furthermore, unacceptable disparities nonetheless persist. So it’s time to take motion to scale back these gaps,” Kyriakides added.
Aside from including screening for brand new cancers to the EU-wide suggestions, the brand new textual content additionally suggests up to date pointers for breast, cervical and colorectal most cancers.
The EU member states additionally suggest “satisfactory, well timed and complementary diagnostic procedures and coverings for these people with a optimistic screening check”.
In accordance with Europe’s Beating Most cancers Plan, introduced by the Fee in 2021, 2.7 million individuals within the EU have been recognized with most cancers, and 1.3 million individuals died on account of the illness.
Regardless of Europe amounting to a tenth of the world’s inhabitants, it accounts for 1 / 4 of the world’s most cancers instances. The estimated financial affect of most cancers is estimated to be greater than €100 billion a 12 months.
A win for the Czech presidency
All through its Council presidency, most cancers prevention has been an necessary focus for Czechia.
Again in July, minister Válek advised EURACTIV that he hoped for a call within the Council on most cancers screening programmes.
“There are vital variations, medical and political, amongst EU international locations with regards to screening,” he mentioned within the July interview.
In accordance with the European Most cancers Inequalities Registry, the EU common of ladies who had by no means had a breast examination was 11.4%. Nonetheless, this varies extensively throughout the bloc: In Finland, the quantity is 1%, whereas, in Romania, the determine reaches 71.6%.
Equally, with regards to screening for cervical most cancers, the EU common of ladies who had by no means had a cervical screening was 13.7%, however once more, with vital variations: For Czechia, the quantity is 2.6% and for Romania, it’s 47.4%.
The EU common for individuals who have by no means had a colorectal most cancers screening is larger, 48.7%, with Denmark the bottom (17.4%) and Bulgaria the very best (94%).
[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]
