EUCanScreen seeks to reduce the cancer burden and promote equitable access to screening across all EU Member States

Turin is emerging as a leading hub for cancer prevention innovation as experts from across Europe convene for the EUCanScreen Consortium Meeting on 12–14 May, 2025. Over the course of three days, participants will shape the future of cancer screening in the EU by aligning national programmes with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Hosted at Turin’s historic “Arsenale della Pace”, this high-profile event brings together EUCanScreen partners, cancer researchers, clinicians, and public health officials to advance early cancer detection efforts across Europe.

Cancer screening can be challenging to understand or implement – its guidelines, technologies, and eligibility criteria may seem complex, especially outside clinical or policy circles. Yet its impact is measured in the most tangible terms: lives saved and illnesses prevented. By detecting cancer early, Europe aims to prevent thousands of avoidable deaths. Meetings like this one make that possible. EUCanScreen plays a vital role in ensuring that expert knowledge, best practices, and innovative ideas are shared across all Member States. The presence of representatives from DG SANTE and HaDEA underscores the significance of the meeting’s outcomes, which may directly inform future EU policy updates and funding priorities. For example, the European Commission could consider the consortium’s recommendations when identifying countries in greater need of support for lung cancer screening through upcoming EU4Health calls.

EUCanScreen’s work will continue to expand across Europe in the coming years, helping make cancer screening programmes more effective, equitable, and accessible. In practical terms, this could mean receiving timely, personalized invitations for screenings, such as mammography or colonoscopy, along with the support needed to follow through, including transportation assistance or flexible scheduling. Improvements also include more accurate and less invasive testing methods, like HPV self-sampling kits delivered to your home; new screening options, such as CT scans for long-time smokers; and clearer, more consistent communication from healthcare providers about the benefits of early detection. Crucially, the quality of cancer screening should be the same whether you live in a small Baltic country or a large Mediterranean one – thanks to the cross-border sharing of tools, data, and best practices.

The EUCanScreen Consortium Meeting in Turin demonstrates Europe’s united commitment to detecting cancer early, improving treatments and their outcomes, and, ultimately, saving lives. As participants return to their home countries equipped with new insights and actionable plans, citizens across Europe will benefit from a healthier future built on shared knowledge, innovation, and collaboration.