Europe's Beating Cancer Plan: EU Chief Scientific Advisors issue recommendations to improve and extend cancer screening programmes

In support of the Commission's work under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, the Commission's Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) released today a Scientific Opinion on cancer screening in Europe and on how to improve early detection. The Opinion provides recommendations on how to improve the existing screening programmes on breast, colorectal and cervical cancer and advises to extend them to lung and prostate cancer. The Advisors also stress the importance of increasing people's participation to such programmes by making them more accessible. The Opinion will inform the upcoming Commission proposal, which will update the 2003 Council Recommendation on cancer screening to ensure that the latest available scientific evidence is reflected. It also pinpoints the areas in which further research is required, and as such, may inform the EU Mission on Cancer. Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said: “Saving lives by improving cancer prevention and early detection is one of the key aims of the EU Mission on Cancer. Research and innovation advance our understanding of all phases of cancer and pave the way to improve diagnosis, treatment and care interventions. This Scientific Opinion provides key insights and recommendations and it thus contributes significantly to this goal.” Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides (pictured) said: “Europe's Beating Cancer Plan has a strong focus on research and innovation as the starting point towards a new approach to cancer prevention, treatment and care. Early detection is a cornerstone of our Plan and screening is a crucial part of this. The advice of the Chief Scientific Advisors will support our update of guidelines for cancer screening in the EU with the most up-to-date scientific knowledge, delivering the best possible outcomes for all Europeans. Screening saves lives and with the Cancer Plan, we will make sure that citizens across the EU can benefit from our future EU supported Cancer Screening Scheme.” Established in 2016, the European Commission's Group of Chief Scientific Advisors provides the College of Commissioners with independent, high quality scientific advice that has informed policy making on more than a dozen topics. The Chief Scientific Advisors are seven eminent scientists appointed in their personal capacity, and act independently and in the public interest. More information is available here.

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