Perspectives

The EU recognizes the value of early detection of cancer

In a recent speech, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, highlighted the importance of cancer prevention, early detection, equitable access to care and innovation in cancer treatment as key priorities for Europe. She summarized the importance of early cancer detection in four points:

40% of cancer cases are considered preventable. Therefore, there should be greater effort put into prevention, specifically access to high-quality screening for everyone.
Developing cancer treatments should be faster and more efficient. The European Biotech Act will help accelerate and simplify approvals for clinical trials, which are often the bottleneck in developing new solutions. Furthermore, improved data sharing through the European Health Data Space will benefit those who are ill or recovering.
Early detection and treatment are not equally distributed. People should have equal access to high-quality care, regardless of where they live, what they earn or their level of education.
More people are surviving cancer. Yet, these survivors may face high insurance premiums or difficult loan conditions, for instance. Many, but not all Member States now provide protection to cancer survivors.

In its commitment to cancer prevention, treatment and care, the EU introduced Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan in 2021. The plan aimed to tackle the entire disease pathway and was structured around four key themes, one of which was early detection.

Biohit has worked at the leading edge of early gastrointestinal cancer detection for years. Seeing the EU place the same priority on early detection confirms the direction we have long taken.

Working in parallel with the EU’s plan to combat cancer, we share the same urgent mission to prevent treatable cancer-related deaths through better diagnostics.

Why early cancer detection matters

Europe accounts for a tenth of the world’s population, but a quarter of the world’s cancer cases. With the current rate of deaths attributed to cancer, by 2035 the EU area will experience an increase of more than 24 % in lives lost. This would make cancer the leading cause of death in the EU.

According to a report presenting the EU’s plan on cancer, ”early detection through screening offers the best chance of beating cancer and saving lives.” Yet, citizens in EU member states do not have equal access to early cancer detection. For instance, for breast and cervical cancer screening, coverage of the target population ranges from 6% to 90% and from about 25% to 80%, respectively.

There is also a financial case for catching cancers early. As stated in the report, “prevention is more effective than any cure”, and it is “the most cost-efficient long-term cancer control strategy.”

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

One of the plan’s flagship initiatives was the EU-supported Cancer Screening Scheme, which aimed to ensure that 90% of the eligible EU population were offered breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening by 2025 in Member States.

Another flagship initiative in the EU’s plan targeted cancers caused by infections. Alongside vaccination against human papillomaviruses (HPV) and hepatitis B, the plan addressed gastric cancer linked to Helicobacter pylori infection and called for the detection and treatment of infections that can lead to gastric cancers.

The plan also noted that targeted screening could be extended beyond breast, cervical and colorectal cancer to include additional cancers, including gastric cancer.

This is where accurate diagnostic and triage tools come in.

Solutions to beat gastrointestinal cancers

Biohit has been pioneering diagnostics and solutions for detecting precursor conditions of gastrointestinal cancers. Therefore, we welcome the EU’s commitment to reducing preventable cancer deaths.

Early detection is only possible when the tools to carry it out are available. And accurate first line testing, either before or early after symptoms appear, can change the course of care.

Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis

The GastroPanel® quick test NT quantitatively measures pepsinogen I and II, gastrin-17 and antibodies against H. pylori. Together, these markers provide a fast, non-invasive assessment of gastric health and support the first-line assessment of dyspeptic patients.

By detecting signs of H. pylori infection and atrophic gastritis, the test helps identify people at increased risk and supports timely referral, contributing to earlier detection.

Read more about GastroPanel® >>>

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and the third most commonly diagnosed cancer globally. It is also one of the three cancers at the centre of the EU’s screening goal.

BIOHIT ColonView® quick test is an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (FIT) that detects both haemoglobin and the haemoglobin–haptoglobin complex. It supports the kind of accessible, population-level screening the EU’s cancer plan calls for.

As Europe strengthens its commitment to cancer prevention and early diagnosis, access to accurate diagnostic tools will become increasingly important. Biohit remains committed to supporting healthcare professionals with reliable, evidence-based solutions that help detect gastrointestinal diseases at an earlier stage—when intervention can make the greatest difference.

Sources

Von der Leyen, U. Opening speech at the conference “Advancing Brain Cancer Research: From policy action to scientific breakthroughs.” European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/sl/speech_26_1298
European Commission. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan – Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. 2021.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Cancer Tomorrow (incidence and mortality projections). https://gco.iarc.fr/tomorrow/en/
Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(3):229–263. doi:10.3322/caac.21834