New campaign calls for implementation of screening in national cancer plans

The Let's Talk Prostate Cancer initiative has held a virtual roundtable and launched an online campaign to raise political awareness about prostate cancer and engage key EU stakeholders in discussions around key issues.

The Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer (LTPC) Expert Group, of which Europa Uomo is a member, is publicising key policy challenges and recommendations on prostate cancer, launching new “calls to action” for policymakers, building on earlier calls to action by the campaign.

In response to key prostate cancer challenges, such as late detection, poor access to treatment and stigma, it is recommending three key actions from European policy makers:

• Identify prostate cancer as a priority area for action
• Support research into the inequalities that affect people with prostate cancer
• Ensure timely implementation of the final revised EU Council recommendation on cancer screening within national cancer plans.

Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer is a pan-European initiative – organised and funded by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd – bringing together representatives of stakeholder organisations from the EU prostate cancer community. Its members include Europa Uomo, the European Association of Urology, the European Oncology Nursing Society, the European Cancer Patient Coalition and the European Association of Urology Nurses.

It is urging all EU member states to ensure swift implementation of the European Commission’s cancer screening recommendation to support early detection of prostate cancer.

A statement from the campaign said: “The publication of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and of the updated Council Recommendation on cancer screening along with the renewed focus on EU health policy all mark important steps towards the eradication of inequalities in cancer diagnosis and treatment.”

“This is therefore a crucial time to draw attention to these concerns, in order to give further momentum to the fight against cancer by ensuring that prostate cancer is not left behind in efforts to build a true European Health Union.”