The European Commission held the kick off meeting for the European Commission Initiative on Colorectal Cancer’s working group today, just months ahead of the planned revision of the Council Recommendation on cancer screening. With this update, the Commission aims to improve colorectal cancer screening through the integration of state-of-the-art scientific knowledge. The Commission is committed to supporting the improvement of colorectal cancer prevention and care in Europe.
Latest estimates indicate that colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer in men and the second one in women in the EU, as well as the second cause of cancer death in men and the third one in women. However, there is considerable variability among EU-27 countries and regions that need addressing.
The Colorectal Cancer Initiative is a deliverable of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and aims to improve quality of care and reduce inequalities in Europe. More specifically, the Initiative will contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines for colorectal cancer prevention, screening and diagnosis, as well as a quality assurance scheme for healthcare services throughout the entire care pathway.
The aim of this first meeting was to introduce the basis for the development of the European guidelines and the associated quality assurance scheme in terms of the approach, roadmap and next steps. The working group will meet on average 3-5 times a year and should issue first recommendations and requirements in spring 2023.
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