EUCanScreen project - Implementation of canceler screening programmes

Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic actively participates in the European project EUCanScreen, which aims to implement cancer screening programmes and improve access to early diagnosis within the EU. This project is funded by the programme EU4Health and aims to develop and implement recommendations to help Member States streamline their screening programmes and improve the availability of healthcare in this area.

Project EUCanScreen aims to implement screening programmes to enable early diagnosis of cancer, thereby ensuring better prevention and early detection of cancer diseases. These screening programmes are also designed to reduce health inequalities between different regions and improve coordination between EU Member States. Based on research and analysis, a set of recommendations and tools will be developed to help Member States improve the effectiveness of their existing programmes and to introduce new ones.

Objectives of EUCanScreen:

Ensuring full implementation of cost-effective screening programmes cancer of the breast, cervix and colon and rectum, which are based on evidence and guarantee high quality.
Preparation for cost-effective screening programmes lung, prostate and stomach cancer, which will be equally evidence-based and provide guaranteed quality.
Ensuring the proper management of the programme and its sustainabilityto ensure that the programme is successfully implemented and effective over the long term.
Ensuring quality, timely and comparable data collection and monitoring of screening programmes, allowing effective feedback and optimisation.
Ensuring equal access of authorised EU citizens to screening programmesThis will help to reduce inequalities in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Ensuring capacity building for cancer screening, which includes training, skills development and support for capacity infrastructures.
Ensuring cooperation and coherence with related projects funded under EU programmesto maximise the synergies and effectiveness of the implemented solutions.

Interested parties in Slovakia:

In Slovakia, key organisations active in screening programmes, awareness-raising activities and support for cancer patients are identified. These include for example: National Cancer Institute (NCO) /National Cancer Institute (NOI), Slovak Cancer Society, Cancer League, Not Cancer and Cancer Research Foundation. These organisations play an important role in policy making, raising awareness of cancer and supporting patients.

Associated project partner:

National Cancer Institute (NCO) National Cancer Institute (NOI)is involved in coordinating national screening activities, developing implementation strategies and research initiatives that contribute to the more efficient implementation of screening programmes.

Challenges and opportunities:

While these organisations are doing excellent work on cancer prevention and patient support, there are still challenges such as differences in access to screening programmes in urban and rural areas. Improving coordination between organisations and health authorities at national level is crucial to ensuring effective screening and support for all citizens, irrespective of their geographical location.

State of play and demographic challenges:

The Slovak Republic has one of the largest cancer mortality rates in the EU. The mortality rate is relatively high for cancers that can be detected by traditional screening programmes. The Slovak Republic has one of the highest mortality rates in the EU+2 countries for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colon and rectum cancer, indicating the importance of better screening and early detection programmes. Regional differences in mortality have also been noted. The Slovak Republic has a high rate of unavoidable mortality for breast cancer and colon and rectum cancer1.

This project provides an opportunity to reduce cancer incidence and mortality through early screening and diagnosis.

Project ID:101162959, Reg. of LU. Nr. ZD204/21709
Project duration:
The EUCanScreen project is implemented in the period since 01 June 2024 to 31 May 2028.
Project budget: EUR 38.749.935,32
Coordinator: University of Latvia, Latvia (e-mail: screening@lu.lv)
Project website: eucanscreen.eu

List of participants:

Competent authorities shall:

LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATE (LU)
GESUNDHEIT OSTERREICH GMBH (AT)
SCIENSANO (BE)
HRVATSKI INVOLVEMENT FOR JAVNO HEALTH (HR)
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus (CY)
CESKO REPUBLIC (CZ)
REGION SYDDANMARK (DK)
TERVISE ARENGU INSTITUUT (EE)
TERVEYDEN JA HYVINVOINNIN LAITOS (FI)
INSTITUT NATIONAL DU CANCER GIP (FR)
ROBERT KOCH-INSTITUT (DE)
MINISTRY OF HEALTH (EL)
ORSZAGOS KORANYI PULMONOLOGICALI INTEGREZET (HU)
HEILSUGAESLA HOFUDBORGARSVAEDISINS (IS)
DEPARMENT OF HEALTH (IE)
ISTITUTO PER LO STUDIO E LA PREVENSIONE E LA RETE ONCOLOGICALA (IT)
LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS SVEIKATOS APSAUGOS MINISTERIJA (LT)
Ministry for Health and Active Ageing - Government of Malta (MT)
INSTITUTIA MEDICO-SANITARA PUBLICA INSTITUTUL ONCOLOGICAL (MD)
RIJKSINSTITUUT VOOR VOLKSGEZONDheid EN MILIEU (NL)
HELSEDIRECTORATET (NO)
NARODOWY INSTYTUT ONCOLOGY OF THE IMM MARII SKLODOWSKIE-CURIA - PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT BADAWCZY (PL)
MINISTERIO DA SAUDE - REPUBLICA PORTUGUESA (PT)
INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE SANATATE PUBLICA (RO)
MINISTRY OF THE HEALTH OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC (SK)
ONKOLOSKI INSTITUT LJUBLJANA (SI)
INSTITUT CATALA D'ONCOLOGY (ES)
SOCIALSTYRELSEN (SE)
STATE INSTITUTION PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF UKRAINE (UA)

Affiliates:

SLIMIBU PROFILAKSES UN CONTROLES CENTRS (LV)
RIGAS STRADINA UNIVERSITATE (LV)
PAULA STRADINA KLINISKA UNIVERSITATES SLIMNICA (LV)
UNIVERSITAT FUR WEITERBILDUNG KREMS (AT)
UMIT TIROL - PRIVATE UNIVERSITAT FUR GESUNDHEITSWISSENSCHAFTEN UND TECHNOLOGY GMBH (AT)
CENTRUM VOOR KANKEROPSPORING (BE)
STACHTING KANKER REGISTER - FINANCING REGISTER DU CANCER (BE)
CENTRE COMMUNAUTAIRE DE REFERENCE POUR LE DEPISTAGE DES CANCERS (BE)
UNIVERSITAIR ZIEKENHUIS ANTIWERPEN (BE)
CLINICAL PARTICULARS ZAGREB (HR)
UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS (CY)
TARTU ULIKOOL (EE)
SUOMEN SYOPAYHDISTYS - CANCERFORENINGEN I FINLAND RY - CANCER SOCIETY OF FINLAND CSF (FI)
FEDERATION HOSPITALIERE DE FRANCE (FR)
HOSPICES CIVILS DE LYON (FR)
UNICANCER (FR)
ASSISTANCE PUBLIQUE HOPITAUX DE PARIS (FR)
PLATEFORME DES DONNEES DE SANTE (FR)
INSTITUT GUST ROUSSY (FR)
DEUTSCHES KREBSFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM HEIDELBERG (DE)
LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR REGUENTIONSSFORSCHUNG UND EPIDEMIOLOGICALLY - BIPS GMBH (DE)
DEUTSCHE KREBSGESELLSCHAFT EV (DE)
DIOIKISI 6IS YGEIONOMIKIS PERIFEREIAS PELOPONNISOU IONION NYSON IPEIROU KAI DYTIKIS ELLADAS (EL)
NEPEGESZSEGUGYI ES GYOGYSZERESZETI KOZPONT (HU)
LANDLAEKNIS EMBAETTID (IS)
HEALTH SERVICE EXECUTIVE (IE)
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN IRELAND (IE)
ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITA (IT)
MINISTERO DELLA SALUTE (IT)
AZIENDA UNITA SANITARIA LOCALE DI REGGIO EMILIA (IT)
Regione Marche (IT)
AZIENDA OSPEDALIERA CITTA DELLA SALUTE E DELLA SCIENZA DI TORINO (IT)
AZIENDA ULSS 4 VENETO ORIENTALE (IT)
ISTITUTO DI RICERCHE FARMOLOGICALCHE MARIO NEGRI (IT)
UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE (IT)
PROVINCIA AUTONOMA DI TRENTO (IT)
FUNDAZIONE IRCCS ISTITUTO NAZINÉ DEI TUMORI (IT)
Regione Lombardia (IT)
ATS PAVIA (IT)
VIESOJI ISTAIGA Vilniaus UNIVERSITETO LIGONINE SANTAROS KLINIKOS (LT)
LIETUVOS SVEITAKOS MOKSLU UNIVERSITETO LIGONINE KAUNO KLINIKOS (LT)
ERASMUS UNIVERSITAIR MEDisch CENTRE ROTTERDAM (NL)
SCHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITAIR MEDisch CENTRE (NL)
STACHTING BEVOLKINGSONDERZOEK NEDERLAND (NL)
FOLKEHELSEINSTITUTTET (NO)
INSTYTUT GRUZLICY I CHOROB PLUC (PL)
INSTITUTO PORTUGUES DE ONCOLOGY TO PORTO FRANCISCO GENTIL, EPE (PT)
UNIDADE LOCAL DE SAUDE DE SAO JOAO, E.P.E. (PT)
UNIDADE LOCAL DE SAÚDE SANTA MARIA (PT)
INSTITUTUL CLINIC FUNDENI (RO)
INSTITUTUL ONCOLOGICAL PROF DR ION CHIRICUTA CLUJ-NAPOCA (RO)
NARN ONCOLOGICAL USTAV (SK)
NACIONALNI INSTITUT FOR JANNO HEALTH (SI)
Asociación INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN SISTEMAS DE SALUD-BIOSISTEMAK (ES)
FUNCTION PARA EL FOMENTO DE LA INVESTMENT SANITARIA Y BIOMEDICA DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA (ES)
INSTITUTO ARAGONES DE CINCIAS DE LA SALUD (ES)
FUNCTION INSTITUTO DE INVESTMENT MARQUES DE VALDECILLA (ES)
FUNDACIO INSTITUT HOSPITAL DEL MAR D INVESTMENTS MEDIQUES (ES)
Mr Sveriges Kommuner Och Regioner (SE)
STATE INSTITUTION OF VEHICLES INSTITUTE OF UROLOGY OF THE NATIONAL Academy OF MEDICAL SCIENCES OF UKRAINE (UA)
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (UA)

Associate partners:

INSTITUT JULES BORDET ASBL (BE)
MINISTERIE VAN VOLKSGEZONDheid, WELLIJN EN SPORT (NL)
INSTITUTO TUMORI "GIOVANNI PAOLO II" IRCCS (IT)
AZIENDA SANITARIA LOCALE TARANTO (IT)
MSB MEDICAL SCHOOL BERLIN GMBH (DE)
CENTRUL NATIONAL DE SANATATE MINTALA SI LUPTA ANTIDROG (RO)
INSTITUTUL REGION DE ONCOLOGY IASI (RO)
CENTRE BRUXELLOIS DE COORDINATION POUR LE DEPISTAGE ET LA PREVENTION DES CANCERS (BE)