Cancer screening
European Joint Action on Cancer Screening - EU CanScreen
The European Union’s Beating Cancer Plan includes a new Cancer Screening Scheme, EU CanScreen. The project, funded by the European Union, aims to promote effective cancer screening across all member states.
The primary objective of the project is to reduce the cancer burden and achieve equitable access to screening throughout the EU.
Objectives
Ensure full, cost-effective, and quality-assured implementation of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening.
Improve data quality, monitoring, and ensure equal access to screening programs.
Foster collaboration with other EU projects to ensure sustainability.
Look into the feasibility of preparing for the implementation of lung, prostate, and gastric cancer screening.
Iceland's participation in EU CanScreen aligns with the Icelandic Cancer Strategy, approved in 2019, and the Action Plan, which was approved by the Icelandic Parliament (Althingi) in June 2025. The Action Plan sets a goal to maximise the effectiveness of population-based cancer screening and outlines the actions needed to achieve that goal. In addition, the Action Plan addresses improved registration and standardised quality indicators.
The Directorate of Health participates in two work packages of the EU CanScreen project:
Monitoring, where the overall objective is to improve the quality of data by harmonising existing standards and developing new ones for data and data sharing between countries. This will make it easier to compare data between countries and compare the quality and effectiveness of screening.
Risk-based approaches, where the overall objective is to enhance understanding of the concepts of risk-based screening and to make suggestions for the possible integration of such approaches into screening programs.
The consortium unites 29 countries, including 25 EU Member States, Ukraine, Moldova, Norway, and Iceland. The University of Latvia manages the project and involves a further 28 competent authorities, 61 affiliated partners, and 7 associated partners.
Project name: Implementation of cancer screening programs (EU CanScreen)
Project implementation: 48 months (1st June 2024 – 31st May 2028)
Total project funding: 38 749 935 EUR
Total funding of the Directorate of Health: 234.180 EUR
Project Coordinator: University of Latvia (Latvijas Universitāte), email: screening@lu.lv
Project website: www.eucanscreen.eu
Project ID No.: 101162959, Reg. of LU. Nr. ZD2024/21709
Funded by: EU4Health program of the European Union
Participants - EU CanScreen
Service provider
Directorate of Health