EU Health Chief: Access to Gynaecological Cancer Treatment Differs Widely Across EU

There is a large inequality in access to women's cancer services and treatments across the EU, according to the bloc's health chief, who highlighted the role of Europe's Beating Cancer plan in bridging these disparities.

Speaking during a webinar on Thursday (6 May), Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said there is a need to "break the silence" and talk openly about gynaecological cancers. 

The EU, she added, has "to assure that all women in all corners of the EU, get the support, have access to the screening and the vaccination, the information and the multidisciplinary care that they should be having".

Her hopes are on Europe's beating cancer plan, which must bring "real change". 

"This is what European citizens expect from us. And I also believe that we don't have a right to fail them. We have an opportunity and we need to seize it," Kyriakides said.

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan was set in 2020 to tackle the entire disease pathway, from prevention to treatment, with the goal to equalise access to high-quality care, diagnosis and treatment across the block.

Inequalities across the block

However, access to cancer detection and treatment currently differs widely across the bloc. 

Antonella Cardone, director of the European cancer patient coalition (ECPC), said screening programs lead to a remarkable reduction in incidence and mortality but "there are major disparities in screening between the different EU member states".

This means many women are not being diagnosed early enough when the disease is still treatable and "often curable".

The highest incidence among all women cancers is breast cancer, which accounts for 88% of cancer cases among women. 

But the access to screening that...