New report from European Cancer Organisation charts progress and disparities

European progress in cancer screening – including prostate cancer – is a central theme of a new report from the European Cancer Organisation. The European Cancer Summit Report summarises some of the key discussions at last year’s ECO summit, which brought together experts, policy makers and advocates to examine challenges in cancer prevention and care.

The event, held in November last year, saw the launch of the European Cancer Screening Policy Index – an ECO project gathering the latest data to monitor progress of European policies on cancer screening. It revealed that only a handful of European countries have fully implemented all the recommended screening programmes – for breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate and lung cancer. Countries such as Slovenia, Portugal and Norway emerged as leaders, showcasing “exemplary alignment with EU recommendations,” says the report.

The report summarises the 11 summit sessions, highlighting key takeaways and quotes from panellists. While delegates identified many upcoming challenges in cancer care, they also looked towards emerging opportunities.

Summarising a session on progress with Europe’s Beating Cancer plan, the report says that the expansion of cancer screening recommendations to include prostate and lung cancers marks “a significant milestone”.

“However, disparities in access remain. While some nations offer robust, inclusive screening programmes, others struggle with limited infrastructure and uneven coverage.”

The report is available for download from the European Cancer Organisation.